Trust Love Betrayal
by werewolf714
Summary: Glynda opens a survival Minecraft server for Beacon though not only Beacon students and faculty are playing. With trouble brewing between WhiteRose, Ruby finds herself making a new friend of a late night Minecraft player. But when a rumor gets out of hand and Ruby's team turns on her, she is forced to flee, and her choices will shape her life in ways she never thought possible.
1. Game

**Disclaimer: I don't own Rwby or its characters. The cover image is a screenshot from the intro that I edited. I also don't own Minecraft.**

* * *

><p>It had been a long lesson filled day and while the other girls wanted to go see a movie to kick off the weekend Ruby decided to stay at the dorm and check all her favorite fanfiction writers. Besides, the movie was not her kind of movie at all.<p>

Just as she was sitting down at her computer she received a message on her scroll. It was from Glynda. Looking at it Ruby realized it was a mass message sent to most the school.

_Just an FYI and Invitation. I have started a survival Minecraft _

_server, if you have the game and are willing to follow my rules_

_then you are welcome to join! The server can handle about 30 _

_players at once, so please check with me before inviting friends._

_My rules are simple._  
><em>#1 do not attackkill other players, this is not a pvp server._  
><em>#2 do not steal from other players.<em>  
><em>#3 do not demolish or disturb what other players have built.<em>  
><em>#4 please plant a sapling for every tree you chop down.<em>  
><em>and do not leave floating trees!<em>  
><em>Anyone who violates these rules will be first punished by the admin.<em>  
><em>If they are violated a second time they will be banned from the server.<em>

_Now. If you have the game and would like to join us the address  
>is 12 42 333 2529<em>

Ruby shrugged, then remembered that Jaune had gotten her the game for her birthday. She decided why not and joined the server.

CookieHuntress has joined the game!  
>TheGoodWitch: Welcome! You are the first other than TheGreatOz to log on!<br>TheGreatOz has left the server.  
>TheGoodWitch: Unfortunately his computer hates him...<br>CookieHuntress: Aww, that's no good. If you don't mind my asking, is that you professor GoodWitch?  
>TheGreatOz has joined the game.<br>TheGoodWitch: Yes, And your Ruby I'm guessing.  
>CookieHuntress: Yep!<br>TheGreatOz: Hello Ruby, glad you could join us!  
>TheGreatOz has left the game.<br>CookieHuntress: Wow, his computer does hate him...  
>TheGoodWitch: Yes... nevermind that now though, have you ever played this game before?<br>CookieHuntress: Yeah, a little, I've got the basic idea.  
>TheGoodWitch: Wonderful, The best I can say is have fun then!<br>LotusHuntsman joined the game.  
>TheGreatOz joined the game.<br>LEGBREAKER joined the game.  
>LotusHuntsman: wow Nora.<br>LEGBREAKER: WHAT?  
>LotusHuntsman: oh, nothing.<br>CookieHuntress: Hi guys!  
>TheGoodWitch: Welcome to the game!<br>TheGreatOz: Glad you could join us!  
>TheGreatOz left the game.<br>LEGBREAKER: HI EVERYONE!  
>LotusHuntsman: * waves *<br>TheGreatOz joined the game.  
>TheGreatOz: Glynda help...<br>TheGoodWitch left the game.  
>TheGreatOz: Sorry everyone, my computer does not like me today.<br>CookieHuntress: It'll be alright.  
>TheGreatOz left the game.<br>LEGBREAKER was blown up by creeper.  
>LEGBREAKER: NOOOOOOO REN SAVE ME.<br>LotusHuntsman: you've already respawned.

Ruby giggled, glad she stayed home. She decided to dig under the dirt shelter she'd built for the night to see if she could find anything. All it warranted her though was dirt and stone. She had spawned in the plains and doubted she'd find everything she needed there.

LEGBREAKER: OOO WHAT IS THAT BLACK THINGY WITH ALL THE PURPLE FLOATING OFF IT?  
>LotusHuntsman: don't look directly at it<br>LEGBREAKER died by endermen.  
>LEGBREAKER: NOOOOO!11<br>LotusHuntsman: …..  
>TheGoodWitch joined the game.<br>TheGreatOz Joined the game.  
>Time set to 1000<br>TheGoodWitch: There, it's day again.  
>LEGBREAKER: THANK YOU SO MUCH!<br>LEGBREAKER was blown up by creeper.  
>LEGBREAKER: WHYYYYY ;-;<br>LotusHuntsman got the achievement 'getting wood'  
>CookieHuntress got the achievement 'taking inventory"<br>LEGBREAKER: REN WHAT ARE YOU DOING?  
>LotusHuntsman: chopping down trees.<br>TheGreatOz got the achievement 'taking inventory."  
>CookieHuntress got the achievement 'getting wood"<p>

Ruby was glad Glynda had made it day, once the mobs had burned she'd headed to the nearest forest, flower forest according to the terminal and started chopping and climbing trees. She made a workbench, getting her another achievement and Ren got the same one right after followed by two more. That done she started with a pick and sword then planks and sticks... soon she had a small tree house.

LEGBREAKER fell to their death.  
>LEGBREAKER left the game.<br>LotusHuntsman: she rage quit.  
>CookieHuntress: aww...<br>TheGoodWitch: I might show her a few things if she's willing to try again.  
>TheGreatOz left the game<br>TheGreatOz joined the game  
>TheGreatOz left the game<br>TheGreatOz joined the game  
>LotusHuntsman: if she will listen that'd be good..<br>TheGreatOz: Great fun everyone but I have paperwork, Night.  
>TheGreatOz left the game.<br>CookieHuntress: Ren, do you have any wool?  
>LotusHuntsman: yes, do you need some?<br>CookieHuntress: Yes please.  
>LotusHuntsman: where are you?<br>CookieHuntress: East of where I saw you half an hour ago, in the treehouse.  
>LotusHuntsman: alright.<br>TheGoodWitch: Have fun you two, I'm off for the night.  
>LotusHuntsman: night<br>CookieHuntress: Sweet dreams!  
>TheGoodWitch has left the game.<p>

After receiving the wool from Ren and making a bed Ruby got her spawn point set to her treehouse, which was already a two story little thing that spanned the space of two trees. She had furnaces and a fishing pole, more picks and even an iron sword and a chest. She was starting to feel accomplished and enjoyed playing knowing Ren was only a few score blocks over. That was why she had not played the game long she realized, it had felt too lonely.

She was completely absorbed when the rest of her team returned from their movie, Blake complaining that they slaughtered the book. Weiss had little to say and Yang mentioned it should have had more action.

All of this at once plus the returning members of team JNPR across the hall was enough racket to scare poor Ruby right out of her chair.

"You ok over there, little sis?" Yang asked.

"Yeah, I just wasn't expecting you guys so soon that's all." Ruby replied.

"What do you mean, the movie was standard length and the theater is only a fifteen minute walk." Weiss snapped.

"I was playing a game, ok?" Ruby said defensively.

"Oh that one Professor Goodwitch messaged us all about?" Blake asked.

"Yeah that one. You should play, it's fun." Ruby smiled.

"Sure." Blake said.

"Whatever." Weiss grumped and headed off to get ready for bed.

"Maybe tomorrow for me, I don't have that game." Yang said with a shrug.

Blake sat down at her computer and booted it up, she had to update the game but was soon online with Yang watching from her bed.

Ruby returned to her game to find it raining.

DeepestApology has joined the game.  
>Gamerdude has joined the game.<br>LotusHuntsman: I'm in the big forest to the north.  
>Gamerdude: Awesome.<br>Gamerdude was slain by DeepestApology.  
>DeepestApology: I'm sorry!<br>LeaveMeAlone Joined the game.  
>Gamerdude: Whose Leavemealone?<br>LeaveMeAlone: It's Blake.  
>Gamerdude: Oh.<br>DeepestApology: hello friend!  
>Gamerdude: Is Weiss joining in?<br>CookieHuntress: I don't think so, Blake, I'm Northeast of you.  
>LeaveMeAlone: It's ok Ruby, I've played before, I'm heading for the river.<br>CookieHuntress: What's on the river?  
>LeaveMeAlone: Sugar cane.<br>LotusHuntsman: aka paper. Blake if you get a decent book factory going will you share a few with me?  
>LeaveMeAlone: sure.<br>Gamerdude: I've never found a use for those.  
>DeepestApology: they must have a purpose...<p>

Everyone played for a few hours, Blake farming sugarcane and hunting cows.

Ruby braving the shallow cave by her treehouse in search of coal.

Jaune dying repeatedly, and Phyrra helping Ren with his hidden tree base.

CookieHuntress: Hey guys, I've had an idea!  
>DeepestApology: What is it?<br>CookieHuntress: We should all put a chest outside our bases so we can leave each other gifts!  
>LeaveMeAlone: Things Like food and tools and things players requested of each other?<br>CookieHuntress: Yes exactly!  
>LotusHuntsman: sounds good.<br>Gamerdude was slain by zombie.

With that chests were added to all of the bases, Ren's seeming to just be plopped randomly on the forest floor. Blake's next to the door to her underground river base. And Ruby's at the base of her tree.

Nearer to early morning than late night everyone started logging off. Yang had fallen asleep and Blake was only barely awake. Jaune was dying constantly so Ruby guessed he'd dozed off before logging off.

Ruby was about to logging off when she saw another user pop up, she didn't see who it was before the game went to the title screen though. She shrugged and headed off to bed herself.

* * *

><p>The next morning was a Saturday and, having no school assignments, most everyone who'd played the night before was sleeping in.<p>

Ruby woke before most her team, only Weiss was already up.

"Good morning, Weiss." Ruby smiled, trotting over and giving her a kiss on the cheek.

Weiss only huffed in response.

Ruby sat next to her pale girlfriend. "I've made you mad again..."

"I invited you, not everyone else, to that movie last night and you totally blew me off!" Weiss snapped.

"Sorry Weiss, I didn't mean to-" Ruby was trying to explain but Weiss cut her off.

"You never mean to but you always seem to! Yes you're sweet but you need to pay attention to things if you're going to be with me!" Weiss stated.

"Sorry..." Ruby said, standing to leave and get a snack

"Oh don't pout, just be more considerate." Weiss said as Ruby left the room.

Food in hand she returned to find Weiss playing the game as well.

"I thought you said it was stupid." Ruby said.

"Yes well if everyone else is playing it I might as well try it out." Weiss answered matter of factly.

Ruby shrugged and went to her own computer, Blake and Yang were still out cold.

Ruby logged on to find Weiss had traveled and found snowy land and started building an ice palace. How fitting, Ruby thought.

After a few hours playing and traveling in the opposite direction of Weiss, Ruby found a road. It was cobble and glowstone so she knew it wasn't generated by the game itself and decided to follow it. It was a long road but it lead to a very large structure that was under construction. Looking at it from a distance she noticed two other players flying about, knowing that most everyone was restricted to the survival rules she guessed it was Glynda and Ozpin. Heading closer to inspect, Ruby realized they were building Beacon.

CookieHuntress: Looking good you guys.  
>TheGreatOz: Thanks, It's going to take a while but It's going to be neat.<br>TheGoodWitch: Admin's need a base too.  
>CookieHuntress: Can I help?<br>TheGoodWitch: No need, we've got it.  
>CookieHuntress: Okie, have fun.<p>

Ruby headed back to her treehouse and sat back in her chair, watching the camera spin around her avatar, which she had designed to look like herself.

After a few minutes of watching the screen she realized Ozpin wasn't being logged out every few minutes.

CookieHuntress: No computer problems today?  
>TheGreatOz: I'm borrowing Glynda's laptop.<br>CookieHuntress: Oh, I see.

Ruby went back to staring at her screen. After a few minutes more Blake and Yang stirred, not wanting to disturb the gamers they slipped out for breakfast quietly.

Gamerdude joined the game.  
>Gamerdude was blown up by creeper.<br>Gamerdude: I really gotta learn to run from those...  
>DeepestApology joined the game.<br>IceQueen: WHY DOES THE ICE KEEP MELTING RAAHA  
>Gamerdude: What are you trying to do?<br>IceQueen: Build with it, but it keeps melting around the torches! If this keeps up I won't have any!  
>Gamerdude: Yeah, that's what ice does... Just use stone, it's cold too.<br>IceQueen:...  
>CookieHuntress: Use packed Ice.<p>

"Ruby, don't tell me what to do!" Weiss snapped out loud.

Gamerdude was slain by zombie.  
>IceQueen: pfft.<br>Gamerdude: Hey CookieHuntress, you wanna help us in the mine?  
>CookieHuntress: Sure, where is it?<br>TheGoodWitch: I can teleport you to him if you like.  
>CookieHuntress: K, Just gimme a minute to grab some picks.<br>Time set to 1000  
>CookieHuntress: Ready!<br>CookieHuntress teleported to Gamerdude.  
>CookieHuntress: Whoa.<br>DeepestApology: I know right?  
>CookieHuntress: This place is huge!<br>Gamerdude was slain by zombie.  
>Gamerdude teleported to DeepestApology.<br>Gamerdude: Thanks!  
>TheGoodWitch: No problem.<br>Weather set to clear.

Ruby explored the massive cavern, which was open at the top, with Jaune and Pyrrha for a while, finding lapis lazuli, some iron and coal.

Blake and Yang returned, each with a coffee in hand and parked themselves on one of the beds, sitting back to back and booting up laptops.

"You'll show me how to get the game right?" Yang asked.

"Yes, it should be easy, I bought if for you last night before shutting down." Blake answered.

"Aww, you didn't have to do that!" Yang said, delighted.

"It's no trouble, the game's not that high. That book you bought me the other day was more expensive." Blake said.

Ruby sighed, wondering why Weiss had stopped acting that way around her, just, happy to be in each others presence. She shook her head, going back to the game.

Jaune and Pyrrha were fighting mobs and Ruby joined in.

Gamerdude was slain by skeleton.  
>Gamerdude teleported to DeepestApology.<br>CookieHuntress was slain by enderman.  
>CookieHuntress teleported to DeepestApology.<br>CookieHuntress: Thanks!  
>DeepestApology was slain by zombie.<br>DeepestApology teleported to CookieHuntress.  
>IceQueen: Wow you guys suck.<br>IceQueen was slain by spider.  
>Gamerdude: Look who's talking.<br>IceQueen: You shut up!  
>TheGoodWitch: Now now children, that's enough.<br>LeaveMeAlone joined the game.  
>SunDragonofAwesome joined the game.<br>Time set to 1000  
>LeaveMeAlone: Wait there Yang, I'll come get you.<br>SunDragonofAwesome: Alright.  
>CookieHuntress: Guys, my inventory is full... Maybe we should head out?<br>Gamerdude: Mine, too. Glynda any chance you can teleport us out?  
>TheGoodWitch: Only if there is someone who doesn't mind you all popping up.<br>SunDragonofAwesome: I'm in the middle of a field...  
>Gamerdude: That's the spawn point, that would work!<br>Gamerdude teleported to SunDragonofAwesome  
>CookieHuntress Teleported to Gamerdude<br>DeepestApology Teleported to CookieHuntress.  
>DeepestApology: Thanks so much!<br>TheGoodWitch: No problem.  
>CookieHuntress: I'm gonna need another chest lol.<br>Weather set to clear  
>IceQueen: Aww, I liked the snow...<br>TheGreatOz: It causes too much lag, I'm afraid.

Once Ruby dumped all her new things into a chest she sighed, still not wanting to play at the same time as Weiss.

CookieHuntress: I'm gonna get a snack and maybe a catch a nap, see you guys later.  
>TheGreatOz: I love a good day off.<br>CookieHuntress left the game.

Ruby left the room, not a word to anyone, she was feeling oddly alone even around everyone else. So much so that it hurt. The halls were fairly quiet on her way to the cafeteria to hit the vending machines. Nora was there, munching a candy bar and enjoying a soda while talking nonstop to Ren, who listened patiently. They were adorable, Ruby decided right then. Even though many people would find Nora annoying Ren seemed to always enjoy her company.

Ruby got some chips and soda and started back out but Nora spotted her.

"Why so down?" Nora asked.

"I'm not." Ruby said, offering a smile.

Ren sneezed and distracted Nora so Ruby hurried out of the room, not wanting to talk right at that moment.

Wandering to the fountain Ruby sat down and nibbled at her snack while considering some things. She knew she had angered Weiss by not going to the movies but there was more than that, Weiss had been getting colder lately. Ruby wondered if there was something under the Ice Queen's skin and she was just taking it out on her?

Ruby sighed, not sure what that would be or what she could do. If that was the case it was unfair of Weiss to take it out on her, it wasn't her fault.

"Consider other peoples feelings..." Ruby huffed quietly. "Like she does that for anyone else."

Draining the last of her soda Ruby stood to return to the dorm but realized she didn't really want to. She found herself not even wanting to be at Beacon at all. Playing the game was a good distraction but only when Weiss was at least quiet.

With a sigh Ruby forced herself to return anyway. She arrived to find everyone absorbed by the game so she climbed into her bed, adjusted the hanging sheet to hide her from view and dozed off.

* * *

><p>It was much later that Ruby woke from her troubled sleep. She slipped out of bed to find herself alone, the others having all gone off somewhere...<p>

Glancing around Ruby spotted a note, it was in Blake's handwriting.

_We decided to go catch another movie, didn't want to disturb you._

_This one is a double feature so we will be out really late._

Ruby sighed, sitting down at her computer, she started the game.

CookieHuntress: Anyone else online?

There came no immediate answer so she assumed not.

After a few minutes playing, though, someone did respond.

RomanEmpire: Hello Red.

Ruby stared at the screen, not sure who this was, or how they might know who she was... Only one person ever really called her Red...

CookieHuntress: Torchwick?!  
>RomanEmpire: Yes?<br>CookieHuntress: The same Torchwick that robbed that dust shop and is working with the White Fang?  
>RomanEmpire: Nothing confirmed or denied.<br>CookieHuntress: Stealing is wrong you know! You should feel bad, and return everything you've stolen!  
>RomanEmpire: How about 'no'?<br>CookieHuntress: Grr. How did you get on this server? Why are you playing this game?  
>RomanEmpire: I have a... uh... Family member who attends Beacon, they don't know about my criminal activities but know I am rather fond this game so they invited me to play.<br>RomanEmpire: Now how bout you hush about the past for now and come help me build my tower.

Ruby stared at her screen in disbelief as Roman Torchwick sent his ingame location and insisted she come help. With a sigh, realizing she had nothing better to do, she decided to go ahead and help.

CookieHuntress: Fine.  
>RomanEmpire: I knew you'd come around!<p>

It was a long walk to the east, through a winter forest, then some savanna, then finally to some extreme mountains. She was nearing the location he'd sent and she was looking at a tall mountain, working her way around it she realized that it was split down the middle. There she saw Roman's avatar, running about and placing cobble in a very strange manner, it looked like the skeleton of a new skyscraper the way he was building it, with ladders running up the main beams.

RomanEmpire: What do you think?  
>CookieHuntress: Looks like the start of something ambitious.<br>RomanEmpire: But of course! Go big or go home.  
>CookieHuntress: So where do you need help?<p>

Giving her some supplies and instructions they got to work with minimal chatter. Looking at the design Ruby had to admit he had quite the mind for this sort of thing.

It was a couple hours later and they had finished the frame work. It was near as tall as the mountains it sat between, hidden from two sides, somewhat hidden on the back by a mountain further away but obvious from the front. Roman really didn't seem concerned about that though, considering it faced south and everyone was west or northwest of here.

With the frame done Roman gave her more supplies and instructions. They started working on the first floor, only the inner walls though, Ruby noticed, He was leaving the outer ones untouched. Upon questioning him about it he only said he didn't have the supplies yet but he would.

Halfway through working on the second floor Ruby noticed the time.

CookieHuntress: I should probably go back to my own base and log off, my team will be back soon.  
>RomanEmpire: Alright Red, just leave those supplies in the chest over there.<br>CookieHuntress: Alright.  
>RomanEmpire: And Red.<br>CookieHuntress: Yes?  
>RomanEmpire: Thanks for your help.<br>CookieHuntress: No Problem... it's been fun..

With that she left and returned to her own tree house, which seemed very small and low to the ground now. After doing a few small things, shearing sheep, harvesting wheat and planting more seeds, she logged off and went back to bed.

When the rest of her team returned she pretended to still be sleeping. Weiss climbed up to look at her, Ruby could practically feel the disapproving glare Weiss was giving her.

"Still asleep, how lazy geeze." Weiss said, not all that quietly as she climbed back down.

Ruby wanted to just log back onto the game. While playing with Roman she had forgotten about her problems for a while and he was surprisingly enjoyable in game to be around, unlike Weiss.

Once her whole team was asleep, and finding she'd had more than enough, Ruby decided to get up. It was late, extremely so, and she figured no one else would be out and about. With a small sigh Ruby silently slipped from the room to go for a walk. It was a full moon that night, looking at it Ruby noticed a blood red ring around it. She knew it was caused by moisture in the air or clouds or something but still, it gave her a bad feeling, like it was trying to warn her of bad times ahead. She felt like she should heed that warning but wasn't sure what exactly it was warning her about.

Disturbed and not having much luck clearing her head, Ruby sat by the fountain and watched the clouds pass overhead.

She nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard a familiar voice.

"You are up awfully late.." Ozpin said.

"So are you." Ruby pointed out.

Ozpin motioned at the spot on the fountain next to her, she nodded and he sat. Ruby noticed that there was warm milk in his mug instead of coffee.

"While coffee can keep a man running all day with a job like mine, it also is the best friend to insomnia." Ozpin said.

"You must need to pee a lot." Ruby said.

Both of them were silent for a moment before Ozpin started to chuckle. "I suppose that's true."

They fell into silence as they watched the clouds together.

"You seem very awake for this time of night." Ozpin said.

"I fell asleep around like, before lunch I think." Ruby explained.

"Is something troubling you Ruby?" He asked. "You can tell me, if you like."

"Well..." Ruby sighed. "Weiss..." She trailed off.

When she didn't resume for a few minutes Ozpin spoke up. "Not that I'm a man who pays any heed to rumors but, are you and Weiss dating?"

"Kinda... well we were but... She's just so mean sometimes..." Ruby admitted.

"Ruby.." Ozpin took a sip from his mug. "There are only two things that come of dating a teammate. One, and the most common, you will find you are not right as that type of partner and it puts a strain on the team as a whole. The second and less common, you find that your relationship works and it strengthens your team. That, too, can be a weakness." Ozpin explained, sounding as if from personal experience.

"So what should I do?" Ruby asked.

He took another sip from his mug, thinking it seemed. "I think you should try to work things out as best you can. Weiss will still be your partner for the remainder of your time here so you need to try to get along. Whether that means swallowing your pride and letting her be mean to you, though I would not take that kind of abuse, or trying to settle things and break off that sort of relationship. Either way it is up to you."

Ruby sighed, thinking.

"Glynda and I were on the same team." Ozpin said after a bit. "And we dated for a while but both agreed that our relationship put the rest of our team at risk so we agreed to stop. I thought maybe we might go out again after graduation but we didn't." Ozpin yawned. "Yet when I got this job I knew there was no one better for the position she holds than her. So, I asked her and she accepted, we are still friends."

Ruby sighed but nodded. "I think that might help..."

Ozpin yawned again. "Glad I could help, I think I'll go make another attempt at that thing called sleeping. Good night Ruby."

"Goodnight professor Ozpin." Ruby smiled as he rose to leave.

"Good luck Ruby." With that Ozpin left Ruby to her own decision.

It was nearing dawn when Ruby finally wandered back to the dorm. She was almost back to her room when she got a message on her scroll, she dreaded the thought that it might be Weiss. Still, she got out her scroll and looked. It was from an unknown number.

_Hey Red, just wanted to let you know I enjoyed your company_

_and help on the game. If you wanna play with me again I'll be on_

_really late most weekdays._

Ruby just stared blankly at the message a moment. Rather than asking how he got her number she sighed, shrugged and put her scroll away.

When she pushed the door open to her room she was immediately met by the icy glare of an angry Weiss.

"Where the hell have you been?" She demanded.

"I went for a walk." Ruby replied, keeping her town even, Weiss was making it hard to even talk to her.

"This early in the morning?" She demanded.

"It's good for you, you should try it sometime." Ruby said, going over to her desk. She pushed her computer aside and spread out her study materials for tomorrow's test.

"Don't you try to avoid me!" Weiss snapped.

Blake and Yang glanced at each other then left the room. Ruby took a deep breath, trying really hard to keep her anger under control.

"Weiss, you are reading too much into things. I don't know what has you so on edge but stop taking it out on me." Ruby said, as calmly as she could manage.

"The only thing that's bothering me is you!" Weiss snapped again.

"I don't want to fight. We have a test tomorrow and we need to focus. So why don't you go for a walk and think about some stuff? If I really am what's bothering you then we can work it out after that." Ruby said, turning to face her partner with a smile and adding. "'K?"

Weiss huffed and stormed out of the room.

Ruby tried hard to focus but Weiss's attitude bothered her still. After what seemed like forever of staring at a blank paper with a pencil in her hand she set it down and picked up her scroll. Without really thinking about it she messaged Roman.

**_If your girlfriend had something troubling her really bad and_**

**_it was causing problems, what would you do?_**

She sent the message before she could change her mind but quickly felt silly because he didn't respond.

Trying again to focus on her homework she managed a few notes and to memorize a few things and nearly jumped out of her skin when Roman finally answered.

_I don't have one, too much trouble._

She sighed, putting her scroll back down. She was once again focused on what she was doing when her scroll buzzed again and scared her again.

_Of course if I did I guess I'd try to find the problem and help_

_her though it._

_You having girl troubles Red?_

She hesitated a moment then replied.

**_A little. Weiss is really grumpy and holding everything against me._**

_Sounds like the Ice Queen has a major case of PMS._

_Give it time._

_I'm sure she'll get over it._

**_I bet you're right, thanks._**

_Anytime Red._

Feeling somehow slightly relieved she set her scroll back down and went back to what she was doing, having more luck with it this time.

* * *

><p>The next two days went by somewhat uneventfully. The tension between the two was still thick enough to cut but Weiss had started ignoring Ruby rather than let her know what was troubling her.<p>

Having passed the test Ruby decided to reward herself with some late night Minecraft.

She logged on after the rest of her team was asleep.

CookieHuntress: Anyone on?  
>RomanEmpire: Yep.<br>CookieHuntress: Still need help?  
>RomanEmpire: Sure.<p>

Ruby made the somewhat long journey to his tower, now with several of the floors done on the inside and a sort of temporary frame on the outside of the main framework.

It was getting dark by the time she arrived so they headed down into his "temporary" Hideout to wait for day.

CookieHuntress: I took a slightly different path to get here this time.  
>RomanEmpire: See anything interesting?<br>CookieHuntress: Yes, actually. There's the entrance to a cave, it looks like it runs really deep.  
>RomanEmpire: Lava?<br>CookieHuntress: And water.  
>RomanEmpire: This sounds like a place we need to investigate.<br>CookieHuntress: Sounds good!

Roman set to work making Ruby a set of iron armor, sword and some picks.

Ruby got into her own supply of food that she'd brought and used his furnace to cook it.

With the two working together they were ready to go by the time dawn broke over the blocky horizon.

Setting off on this little adventure made Ruby's real life problems fade away for a while.

It didn't take long to reach the cave.

RomanEmpire: Remember to only put your torches on your right side. If you need more light, put them on the ground not the walls, got it?  
>CookieHuntress: Yep!<p>

With that they dove in. Roman using buckets to pick up water source blocks anytime he spotted one.

Realizing he'd been playing the game a long time she didn't question him, just watched his back.

Roman let Ruby have most the coal and all the lapis they found. He seemed quite set on seeing how deep this cave went. After a while, and a little digging they hit a massive ravine.

RomanEmpire: Perfect.  
>CookieHuntress: ?<p>

He dumped one of his water buckets at the edge and they watched as it vanished into the dark.

RomanEmpire: Stick close to me Red, this could get rough, I'll do what I can to keep you safe. Ready?  
>CookieHuntress: I think so?<p>

Roman gave the water a moment more then, climbed in and let the water take him down. Ruby was a bit impressed, she hadn't thought of doing that.

On the ride there were a couple arrows that whizzed past and they could hear all sorts of things in the dark.

CookieHuntress: This is really deep.  
>RomanEmpire: I know, be careful, keep your sword and torches ready.<br>CookieHuntress: Right.

Once at the bottom Roman threw down a dirt block then a torch so they could see. They were surrounded. Without a word the two started the epic battle, dropping torches here and there to reduce the number of monsters spawning. They stuck close to each other and covered one another quite well. Ruby was surprised by how well they worked together, she was sure that her and Weiss would have died a ways back even on a good day.

In some places Roman quickly put up walls of three blocks high to section off the monsters and soon it was decently quiet. Now they could start mining, it was then that Ruby saw all the diamonds.

CookieHuntress: Whoa...  
>RomanEmpire: YESS<p>

After a few minutes of mining Roman stopped.

RomanEmpire: Hey red.  
>CookieHuntress: Yes?<br>RomanEmpire: I'm hungry.  
>CookieHuntress: Don't tell me you ran out of food already!<br>RomanEmpire: No, I mean IRL.  
>CookieHuntress: So?<p>

He didn't answer so she went back to mining, then a message came on her Scroll.

_So I was thinking of ordering some Chinese takeout._

_Want some?_

_**What? Are you teasing me?**_

_No, I'm being nice. Now if you want something send me_

_your dorm number and I'll have it sent over. It's on me._

She sat there a moment, wondering if she should or not... He seemed sincere... With a quiet sigh she sent him her dorm number and told him to instruct the delivery person to be quiet.

_**Wait, what Chinese place is even open this late?**_

_Yummy Wok is open till three am._

**_Really?_**

_Yep. Ok, you good with spicy?_

**_Sure._**

After a few more minutes he resumed playing the game so she guessed he made the order. Once they'd mined all of an area they moved on to the next walled section. As it turned out they had dropped down near one end, so they worked their way across, finding lots of diamonds, lapis, redstone and more. They had to be careful though, as there was lava not but three blocks under them as they quickly found out, Ruby fell in and almost burned to death. Luckily Roman was fast, place a dirt block where she could get on and dumped a water bucket.

RomanEmpire: Careful Red! Never mine under yourself!  
>CookieHuntress: Trust me, that won't happen again, thanks for saving me.<br>RomanEmpire: I'd rather not have to finish this alone.

Food arrived soon after, the delivery girl just barely tapping the door.

CookieHuntress: brb  
>RomanEmpire: Mmhmm<p>

Ruby hopped up, answered the door quietly, tipped the girl and scurried back to her computer.

The food was spicy but not overly so, and it was really good.

CookieHuntress: This is awesome thanks.  
>RomanEmpire: No problem.<p>

Finally they were nearing full inventories. That is when Roman made a beeline for one of the lava pits they'd found earlier. He gave Ruby one of his buckets of water and told her to be quick if he fell in. Carefully he placed cobble and water here and there and soon had lots of obsidian.

He made a crafting table and a diamond pickaxe then set to work, careful not to fall in the lava. Several hours had passed since they had entered the cave and now they worked their way out, loaded with a great many goodies and with more for the mine to yield.

CookieHuntress: That was awesome!  
>RomanEmpire: Yes, good find.<p>

Once things were put up and Ruby returned to her tree house she bid Roman good night and logged off.

Realizing the time and that she had school no longer tomorrow but in a few hours she quickly disposed of the food and hurried off to bed, setting her alarm and hoping she wouldn't sleep through it.


	2. Jaune no

Dealing with school and a grumpy Weiss, Ruby didn't have time the rest of the week to play the game.

Once the weekend rolled around she was more than ready to do a little mine diving with team JNPR and bumblebee. Before she could sit down at her computer though Weiss approached her.

"We should go shopping." She demanded.

"But I don't need anything and shouldn't spend any money I don't have to." Ruby said.

"Fine! If you don't want to go you should just say so! I'll go by myself then." Weiss snapped and stormed off.

"Jeez, what crawled up her butt and died?" Yang said from her spot on the bed with her back to her partner.

"I don't know." Ruby sighed.

"Have you tried talking to her about it?" Blake asked.

"Yeah, more than once but she won't talk to me." Ruby said, troubled. She was starting to see what Roman meant.

"I hope she cools off." Yang said, shaking her head.

"I don't think she could get any colder..." Ruby said, sitting down at her computer and logging on. She was the last to arrive, it seemed.

CookieHuntress joined the game.  
>Gamerdude: Awesome, the gang's all here!<br>LEGBREAKER: YES NOW WE CAN GO AND DO THE STUFF  
>LotusHuntsman: where should we all meet up?<br>LeaveMeAlone: I think Ruby's tree house is most central.  
>DeepestApology: Sounds like a plan then!<br>TheGreatOz has left the game.  
>Gamerdude: Lets go team! To the tree house!<br>TheGreatOz joined the game.  
>Gamerdude was blown up by creeper.<br>Gamerdude: Ren don't even.  
>LotusHuntsman: I told you so.<br>DeepestApology: Don't worry I grabbed all your gear!

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING PLAYING THAT GAME?" Weiss yelled at Ruby, giving the poor leader a mini heart attack.

"I'm playing it for fun like everyone else!" Ruby snapped back, unable to keep her cool this time.

"Why are you yelling at me?" Weiss asked, as if Ruby was completely in the wrong.

"Because, Weiss, you've done nothing but boss me around and be rude to me lately! I don't know what I did to upset you but if you don't tell me I can't fix it!" Ruby shot back.

"Hmf!" Weiss huffed, insulted and turning her back. "I honestly don't know what you are talking about. Your the one with the problem!"

Again Weiss stormed out of the room.

Ruby sighed heavily and turned back to the game, her mood much poorer then it was. She scrolled up the conversations to see if she missed anything.

DeepestApology: Don't worry I grabbed your gear!  
>Gamerdude: Thanks...<br>SunDragonofAwesome: It's this way right?  
>LeaveMeAlone: No Yang over here.<br>SunDragonOfAwesome: Oh! Ok, I see it now.  
>DeepestApology: Here's your stuff back.<br>GamerDude: Thanks.  
>TheGreatOz has left the game<br>LEGBREAKER: WHY IS IT YOU CAN'T HAVE THEIR BOWS WHEN YOU KILL THEM?  
>LotusHuntsman: It's a rare drop.<br>LEGBREAKER: BUT I WANNA SHOOT THINGS! IN THE KNEES!  
>SunDragonOfAwesome: Nora, you did not just make that reference.<br>LEGBREAKER: I MADE ALL THE REFERENCE  
>LeaveMeAlone: No.<br>Gamerdude: Ruby hellooooow I'm jumping up and down right in front of you here!  
>SunDragonOfAwesome: Weiss is yelling at her.<br>Gamerdude: Oh, that's what all the noise is.  
>TheGreatOz has joined the game.<br>LEGBREAKER: AWW I FOUND A DOGGY  
>LotusHuntsman: give it a bone. You got one from the skeleton right?<br>LEGBREAKER: HE FOLLOWS ME NOW!TheGreatOz has left the game.  
>Gamerdude: And if you feed him rotted flesh you can heal him without making him horny.<br>LEGBREAKER: ...  
>DeepestApology: ...<br>SunDragonOfAwesome: ...  
>LeaveMeAlone: ...<br>LotusHuntsman: ...  
>CookieHuntress: Juane no.<p>

Perverted jokes out of the way the group was ready to go. They decided to wander east, as none of them had been that way yet. They were soon rewarded by tall trees with trailing vines in bright greens.

CookieHuntress: Cocoa beans...  
>LEGBREAKER: KITTTIIIEEEESSSS<br>LotusHuntsman: oh god.  
>LeaveMeAlone: Yang, we are getting vines.<br>Gamerdude: Oh my.  
>SunDragonOfAwesome: Jaune. No.<br>TheGreatOz Joined the game.  
>TheGreatOz was slain by zombie.<br>DeepestAplolgy: Ooo melons.  
>Gamerdude: Oh my...<br>TheGreatOz: Jaune, no.  
>TheGreatOz left the game.<br>CookieHuntress: Come on guys! We are almost there!  
>Gamerdude: I'm going to conquer all these trees.<br>DeepestApology: I'll pick up your gear!

Once in the jungle they started searching for what they each wanted, Blake and Yang collecting vines, not on trees with cocoa beans though. Ren found a pond and started fishing.

Nora... Nora terrorized the Ocelot population.

Ruby started collecting as many cocoa beans as she could find.

Jaune failed at climbing.

Gamerdude fell from a high place.  
>CookieHuntress: I'm gonna make sooo many cookiess~<br>LEGBREAKER: YOU GONNA SHARE?  
>LeaveMeAlone: Nora, theres more kitties.<br>Gamerdude was slain by skeleton  
>LEGBREAKER: I AM ON MY WAY NOW<br>LotusHuntsman: Nora, come here. Take these fish.  
>LotusHuntsman: good, now hold the fish in your hand, sneak over to the kitties and wait. Try not to look directly at them though.<br>LEGBREAKER: OK!  
>LEGBREAKER: DO I NEED TO COOK THE FISH?<br>LotusHuntsman: No, they like them raw.  
>Gamerdude: Like they like their women?<br>LotusHuntsman: ... no.  
>Gamerdude fell from a high place.<br>SunDragonOfAwesome: I think we should make these vines into a net so Jaune can stop dying.  
>LeaveMeAlone: He'd still find a way to die.<br>Gamerdude: Hey!  
>Gamerdude fell to his death.<br>LeaveMeAlone: My case in point.

Suddenly there was loud screaming coming from the room across the hall, Ruby and the other quickly realizing it was Nora.

LEGBREAKER: FNREAIGVAEI;GVHUA;IORGRIOAGIOJER;GHGRHIGRIHGRIHGHGR  
>LEGBREAKER: REFEJFKFIHRGEOGJRIGTHFHGHGRGIEEIJGTRR!JIOFEAUG904F9340<br>LEGBREAKER: IT TURNED INTO A PUSSY CAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAATTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT!

That was followed by a loud thump as Nora fell out of her chair.

LotusHuntsman: someone please help, my partner is insane.  
>Gamerdude: Wow, I had no idea.,mkljuhiygf<p>

There was another crash as Juane unexpectedly joined Nora in the floor with an, "Ahhgg!"

"Sorry! I knew what you were going to say!" Pyrrha's voice followed.

SunDragonOfAwesome: Oh common Ren, we all know you love her.  
>LotusHuntsman: I'm in love with a mad woman.<br>CookieHuntress: Guys it's getting dark...  
>LEGBREAKER: YOU LOVE ME?<br>LotusHuntsman: Well that's not a thing I just go around telling everyone...

There was another crash in JNPR's room.

In game, Blake walked over to Ren's avatar and put him in a box of leaves, Yang did the same for Nora before climbing into a tree with Ruby.

Pyrrha made a box of melons to hide Juane then used them to build herself out of range of mobs.

And they settled in to wait out the night this way.

SunDragonOfAwesome: Juane, I swear if you make jokes about melons I will come over there and you will wish it was Pyrrha who hit you.  
>Gamerdude fell to his death.<p>

Everyone stared at their screens in disbelief.

"Only Jaune." Ruby sighed out loud.

Gamerdude: I got bored. I broke the rule, never mine under yourself...  
>TheGreatOz has joined the game.<br>TheGreatOz: Is everyone done being perverted?  
>DeepestAplolgy: Juane is still playing so maybe not, I'm sorry.<br>SunDragonOfAwesome: He has died quite a lot though, it's been very satisfying.  
>TheGreatOz: Good.<br>Gamerdude: OHHH MY GAWD YOU GUYS ARE SO MISSING THIS!  
>CookieHuntress: Do we wanna know?<br>Gamerdude: Nora tackled Ren, has him pinned to the floor and is just like, bonking her face on his and rubbing him like a cat does!  
>Gamerdude: ! and his face... his face is the color of a tomato! Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahahhahaha!<br>TheGreatOz has left the game.

Juane's laughter was audible from the other room.

DeepestAplolgy: Guys, I'm a little worried, hes not moving...  
>SunDragonOfAwesome: I'm sure he's just enjoying it.<br>DeepestApology:... um... okie.  
>CookieHuntress: And so that day was the last we ever saw of our friend Ren. Whom was killed by his love with too much love.<br>DeepestApology: Oh good he moved. Rens still alive everyone!  
>Gamerdude: he moved alright, rolled and pinned her and kissed her! Like a boss. And he's returning to the game now.<br>CookieHuntress: Oh good, the sun is coming up.  
>LotusHuntsman: Did you really need to tell team RWBY all that?<br>LeaveMeAlone: I'm kinda glad Ozpin logged out when he did.  
>Gamerdude: It's more like team RBY, Weiss isn't playing so..<br>LotusHuntsman: Can we trade leaders? Maybe you girls could teach Juane how to keep a secret or at least his mouth shut?  
>SunDragonOfAwesome: No, you cannot have our RubyOAwesome. We might consider trading him for Weiss though.<br>Gamerdude: Hey!  
>CookieHuntress: Aww, thanks!<p>

It was a 'speak of the devil' moment as Weiss picked just then to return.

"You totally missed out Ruby, they had all the best sales on today! There was even a shop selling cloaks like yours!" Weiss said.

"I could say the same to you though, Juane couldn't stop being-" Ruby was saying but Weiss cut her off.

"I don't care."

Ruby turned back to her computer without another word.

CookieHuntress: See anymore cocoa beans anywhere guys?  
>LotusHuntsman: No, I think you got them all.<p>

Ruby pretended she didn't see Yang's worried glance.

The room was quiet other than the sound of clicking keyboards and mouses.

DeepestApology: This has been a very eventful trip!  
>SunDragonOfAwesome: You can say that again!<p>

With that everyone made the trip back to their respective bases and arranged their items.

Gamerdude: We are gonna go out and get a bite to eat, you girls wanna come with?  
>SunDragonOfAwesome: I'm down with that.<br>LeaveMeAlone: Sounds good.  
>Gamerdude: Ruby?<br>CookieHuntress: I think I'll pass, thanks though.  
>Gamerdude: You sure?<br>CookieHuntress: yeah.  
>LEGBREAKER has left the game.<br>Gamerdude: ok.  
>LotusHuntsman has left the game.<br>LeaveMeAlone has left the game.  
>DeepestApology has left the game.<br>Gamerdude has left the game.  
>SunDragonOfAwesome has left the game.<p>

Bumblebee shut off their laptops, stood and stretched before heading for the door. Yang Paused in front of Weiss though. "I don't know what your problem is but I suggest you either work it out or stop taking it out on my sister. Understand?"

"There isn't a problem." Weiss snapped and returned to what she was doing.

Yang stomped off before doing something she might regret.

"You sure you don't wanna come with?" Blake asked.

"Yes." Ruby sighed. "I'm not hungry."

Bumblebee left with team JNPR.

Ruby stared unseeing at her computer screen which still showed the game she was now alone in.

Weiss continued pulling tags and putting away her new clothes, yet the tension was heavy once again. Ruby found herself wanting to be somewhere else, anywhere else. She didn't understand why Weiss had suddenly started acting this way towards her and she was quickly not wanting to be around anyone.

Ruby logged off the game, got up and headed for the door.

"Where are you going?" Weiss demanded.

Ruby didn't hold back the sour look. "None of your business Ice Queen."

Weiss gave her a shocked, almost pained look but at this point Ruby no longer cared and left without another word.

Ruby took off out of the dorm at a quick walk, angry, hurt, and not sure what to do about it. Her eyes were almost glued to the ground as she walked and thought, trying to work something out in her head. As she thought about things her pace slowed down, she wasn't sure where she was but she didn't care either. She should have at least been watching where she was going though for she bumped right into someone, causing both to fall.

"Hey! Watch it!" Came Cardin's voice.

"Oh, sorry..." Ruby said, starting to stand.

Cardin was on his feet faster though and pulled her up, remaining closer than she'd like.

"I'll forgive you if you give me a lil kiss." he said, pulling her closer.

"Forget it!" She said, trying to wiggle away, but with her head already a mess she couldn't think to break his hold just yet.

"Something had to be on your mind for you to be sulking like that. Is that little Schnee girl giving you problems?" He asked, not letting go.

Ruby froze. Were things so obvious that even a self-centered jerk like this had noticed?

"How bout you go out with me tonight, eh? I'll make you forget all about her." he said.

Ruby really didn't like him or his tone or his controlling attitude. With a twist of her body and use of her semblance she was free of Cardin's hold in a cloud of rose petals. Once she was a comfortable distance she stopped and turned to face him.

"First off, no. Second - No. and third, no. Also, if you want to pick up girls, holding them against their will is not the way to do it. So, while the answer will not only always be no, but not ever ever. You might wanna be less of a meanie jerkface!" With that Ruby took off into town, not wanting to get attacked without her weapon on her.


	3. Misplaced Trust

After wandering town for a while and finding no solution to her problems Ruby returned home. Her stomach growled as the sun dipped low, reminding her she hadn't eaten since that morning. When she remembered why, though, she lost her appetite all over again.

Ruby pushed the door open to her teams' dorm and found Weiss browsing her tumblr and Bumblebee cuddling and giggling. Silently and unnoticed, Ruby moved over, grabbed her laptop and left the room again. She felt out of place there. Weiss hated her for some unknown reason and Bumblebee... they were happy, she couldn't fault them for that. She wandered around a bit, making her way back outside. She wanted to play Minecraft and get all these things off her mind but she needed a place where she was alone.

She found herself scanning the roof tops, realizing that there were places she couldn't be seen from the ground but she could get to if she used her semblance. With a small determined nod, she picked one and ran up the side of the building. Once on the roof, not a flat roof but one of the slanted tile ones, she found a safe spot to settle herself where she couldn't be seen then opened her laptop and booted it up. Once on she saw it had signal and connected to the game with no problem. The spot she picked had a support crossing over it so she was slightly sheltered from the elements.

CookieHuntress: Anyone online?

No answer came forth.

With a satisfied sigh she started making cookies, and remembered again that she hadn't eaten. She chose to ignore that though and keep playing.

After playing a few minutes her scroll buzzed that she had a message.

_Hey Red, you had supper yet?_

**_No, I haven't eaten since this morning._**

_Why not? oh... she still causing you problems?_

**_Yeah... It was one of those 'great while she was away _**

**_awful once she got back' kind of days._**

_Gotcha. Red, I know Just the thing, you hang tight and I'll _

_have it sent 'K?_

_**K, um, have it just sent to the courtyard, I'm outside.**_

_That bad? Ok, sure thing._

**_No one is online if you want to join me..._**

Ruby sent that last message and went back to her game. She was soon greeted by his user name popping up on screen and she felt a strange mix relief, joy and guilt.

RomanEmpire has joined the game.  
>RomanEmpire: I've been busy, you should come look at the tower.<br>CookieHuntress: Ok, we found a jungle earlier, I made cookies, want some?  
>RomanEmpire: Always.<br>CookieHuntress: K, I'm on my way.

She made it to the tower to find that he had gotten a nether portal opened, gathered nether brick, glowstone and quartz. He didn't have a lot but he had enough to start the pattern around the outside of the first floor.

CookieHuntress: It looks really good...  
>RomanEmpire: Just wait till it's complete!<p>

They decided to head to the nether together, again working as a team and doing quite well, again Roman did a lot of the mining while Ruby watched his back. Once both inventories were full, which happened quickly, they headed back.

_Red, your food was delivered, it was left by the fountain._

**_I see it thanks, afk brb._**

She carefully nestled her laptop against the lip of the roof and ducked back under the support beam then carefully worked her way back down and to her food.

It was in a white paper bag with a white styrofoam cup next it it plus a bottled soda. She picked up the cup first, investigating and found it was ice cream, a chocolate malt to be exact. The soda was strawberry and in the white bag was a box, inside was a cheeseburger and fries with vegetables and sauce on the side so she could pick and choose what she wanted. It was all hot and smelled very good. Gathering it all up she returned to her spot on the roof.

**_Thank you so much, excuse me while I stuff my face._**

_Go for it Red, that's why it's there._

Ruby lifted the burger to her mouth and took a bite. She wasn't sure if it was because of how hungry she was or if it was because the burger was that damn good, but it was one of the best things she ever tasted. She fully enjoyed it, The fries, like the burger were perfect, and the malt was the best she'd had in years. The soda was a brand she'd never heard of but it was really good. With a less than lady-like belch and napkin to clean up, she was ready to return to the game. She picked up her scroll.

**_Thank you._**

_Any time Red, feel better?_

For what it was worth she did feel a lot better, her problems seemed a bit distant at the moment, her belly full and her body no longer in protest at being deprived of food all day.

_**A lot, yes.**_

_Good._

Returning to the game they decided to do a bit of exploring. There was not much to find really in the savanna, there were large open plains once they left the mountain area of it. Deciding to split up for a bit, but not far apart they still found little.

RomanEmpire: Red, I found a village!  
>CookieHuntress: Cool I'm on my way.<br>RomanEmpire fell to their death.  
>CookieHuntress: ?<br>RomanEmpire: *&^$%^%# $%%^ BHJHJHUGTRDDEFHUJKLKJHGFFFFFFFFFFFFF  
>CookieHuntress: ?<br>RomanEmpire: WHO THE WHAT IDIOTS  
>CookieHuntress: ?<br>RomanEmpire: Floating gravel. Over a hidden ravine! And I happened to notice a block of iron next to the path...  
>CookieHuntress: Which caused the gravel to fall when you mined it.<br>RomanEmpire: Mind getting my things?  
>CookieHuntress: If I can get to them, I found the village.<br>RomanEmpire: Good, I'm on my way now.  
>CookieHuntress: I think I found<br>RomanEmpire: Red?  
>CookieHuntress: Run<br>RomanEmpire: ?

Roman stood at the mouth of the ravine looking in confused.

Ruby came into the light with three creepers on her tail. Without being able to take the time to stack dirt she wouldn't be able to get out, so she ran in circles as the creepers chased her.

Not seeing any other way to get her out of it he scaled his way down then jumped in the middle of them, attacking them so they turned to him, all blowing up.

RomanEmpire was blown up by creepers.  
>RomanEmpire: Now get out of there!<br>CookieHuntress: Thanks...

Ruby was a little surprised at how Roman had just sacrificed himself, though he hadn't been carrying anything and she had both their gear so she supposed it made sense. She was out of the cave and in one of the villager's houses when suddenly her screen went black.

CookieHuntress has left the game.

Ruby looked her computer over, realizing it had shut off she tried to turn it back on. Nothing.

_Where'd you go Red?_

**_My battery died.._**

_Didn't you charge it?_

**_Yes, It's always charging._**

_… Red, how old is that laptop and how long do you leave it plugged in?_

**_Um, three years and almost always?_**

_I'll catch you Online tomorrow Red, night._

Ruby sighed, feeling a bit like a fool. She gathered herself up and returned to the dorm.

Everyone appeared to be asleep at this point so she came in quiet and made her way to bed, she didn't notice Weiss only pretending to sleep.

It took a while but Ruby finally slipped into a fitful sleep.

* * *

><p><em>Ruby felt foggy headed, she felt she couldn't think clearly. She found herself standing in a cold misty place. There were no landmarks or anything to give her any clues as to where she was. Suddenly she felt like she needed to find Weiss, that Weiss needed her. Ruby ran through the mist, calling for Weiss but no answer came and Ruby felt cold inside. She finally found Weiss but the Ice Queen was giving her a very disapproving glare. <em>

_"Too late you moron. You can't do anything right can you? I trusted you." Before Ruby could say anything or protest Weiss vanished and so did the mist. _

_Now she was in the dark but it was warmer. She heard someone crying and followed the sound till she saw Yang, who was kneeling over a grave but Ruby couldn't read the headstone. _

_Another change came and it seemed the whole student body was pointing at her and whispering. Then that, too, was gone and she was in a warehouse. _

_"If you want to disappear, I can make that happen, Red." Came Roman's voice. She turned to face him and he had his weapon aimed at her and had hungry looking beowolves at his side. _

_Suddenly she saw Ozpin with a mountain of paper work and he was adding a bit of alcohol to his coffee. _

_Then it was Roman again and he grinned and pulled the trigger. She felt the impact, the blood flowing out of her and taking her strength... then she was sinking slowly to the floor. "Now you can start over Red, a whole new life." Roman said._

* * *

><p>Ruby woke from her nightmare with an earsplitting scream that had everyone up in an instant.<p>

"Ruby! Are you ok?" Yang asked.

Ruby was panting for breath, looking at her room in confusion.

"Rough nightmare?" Blake asked.

Ruby could only nod, her voice not willing to work again yet.

"You woke us all up over a bad dream? You sounded like you were being murdered! Quit being so weak, miss team leader! Go back to sleep." Weiss scolded.

"Weiss..." Ruby mumbled, next to tears.

Weiss shut off the light. "Go back to sleep."

"It'll be ok..." Yang offered, also returning to bed.

Ruby couldn't seem to calm down though, it wasn't okay. That dream signified something, she could feel it. Trembling and on the edge of a panic attack Ruby picked up her scroll, scared to message the man that killed her in her dream.

**_Would you kill me?_**

_What?! Red, what's wrong? I'm not going to help _

_you commit suicide!_

_Whatever is bothering you death is not the answer, _

_just tell me what's wrong!_

Ruby was surprised by his reaction and realized how badly she'd worded that.

**_I'm sorry, that's not what I meant. It's just, I had a bad _**

**_nightmare and in it you killed me..._**

_Red, we may be on the opposite sides of the law, _

_but I have no intention of killing you._

**_Right... Sorry to bother you, or wake you up._**

_Red, is that all? Are you ok?_

**_Yeah, fine! Just a bit startled that's all._**

_Well alright, if you need anything do not hesitate to ask._

Ruby was in silent tears as she set her scroll back down. She didn't know what to do, or who to turn to. Weiss seemed to hate her more with every passing day and Yang seemed to be keeping her distance so she could learn what she needed to, but truth be told she didn't know what to do. She wanted to trust Roman but logic told her not to and that left her all alone.

Ruby cried herself back to sleep, the ache in her chest not going away anymore.

* * *

><p>The next morning Ruby was sleeping hard when Yang shook her awake. They were the only two in the room. Ruby rubbed her eyes and found them swollen from her crying the night before.<p>

"Are you alright?" Yang asked, worried.

"No." Ruby admitted.

"Weiss?" Yang asked.

"Yeah..." Ruby sighed, realizing she was still feeling that dull ache.

"So bad it's giving you nightmares?"

"Yes..." Ruby really didn't want to talk to Yang about the nightmare... something felt off.

Yang hugged her. "It will be ok, you just gotta let Weiss know how much you care!"

"Wha-?" Ruby asked, being squished.

"I tried talking to her yesterday and she wouldn't give me any straight answers but she doesn't seem to want to break up. The problem is she seems like she feels she can't trust you. I don't know why-" Yang was explaining but Ruby stopped listening, stung by that... Weiss didn't trust her. Why? What did she do to lose Weiss's trust? The pain was worse now and Ruby wanted to cry again but Yang seemed to have finished her speech and was waiting for an answer.

"I'll do my best.." Ruby offered, not knowing what all Yang had said.

"I know you will!" Yang smiled and left.

Ruby sighed, picking up her scroll as she noticed a message on it. There were several, spaced out over a few hours late last night, all from Roman.

_12:32__ Red. You sure you're alright? You can talk to me. I don't mind._

_1:09__ I don't think you're fine. I think somethings wrong._

_1:45__ Red, please answer. Last thing I wanna see in the paper is about_

_ Beacon's best student hurting herself._

_2:02__ Ok, you're probably just asleep and I am going to stop annoying you._

_ Just please, be alive in the morning._

Ruby stared blankly at the screen. She felt bad for worrying him yet somehow felt a teensy bit better that someone cared about her wellbeing, but she felt very odd that that person would be someone who should be her enemy.

Before she could reply though, Weiss walked in and worried she might see the messages or demand to see them Ruby quickly hit the "Delete all" button.

"What are you doing? Who are you talking to?" Weiss demanded.

"Nobody, just cleaning my inbox." Ruby said, overly cheerful.

"Right, because you have so many messages." Weiss snapped.

Ruby's stomach turned and knotted and she just wanted to run away but she knew that was a bad idea so she tried another rout, hugging Weiss.

"I know something has been bothering you and I'm sorry if its me but can we please stop fighting? It hurts." Ruby said pleadingly.

Weiss shoved her away. "I can't do that with you keeping secrets!"

"Weiss please..." Ruby practically begged, the pain in her chest near overwhelming.

"When you're ready to tell me who you are talking to I'll consider it but not till then!" Weiss snapped and quickly turned away and stormed out.

Ruby crumpled to the floor, feeling about the size of a speck of dirt. She wanted to scream, to run, to throw up and to crawl into a dark hole somewhere and never come out. She just blew a chance to fix things and what Weiss said in the nightmare was running through her head.

"Too late you moron. You can't do anything right can you? I trusted you."

It hurt bad, so very bad and she wanted it to stop.

Suddenly she remembered how worried Roman had been so she sat back up and pulled out her scroll, messaging Roman.

**_Hey, just letting you know I'm fine. Sorry I worried you._**

_Red! Sorry for panicking and blowing up your inbox. It's _

_just... I've lost someone to suicide before and... The way _

_you were talking last night is all..._

_**I'm really sorry, I just had that bad dream and was way out of it!**_

_**That's all it was I swear.**_

_Alright, good. Uh, your favorite color is red right?_

_**Last time I checked!**_

_Great. Will you be at your dorm this afternoon?_

_**Probably.**_

_K._

With no more messages forthcoming deleted the messages again and put her scroll away, going off in search of something to eat.

* * *

><p>Ruby pondered her situation as she sat in the cafeteria eating. "My friends don't care as much about me as my enemies..." She mumbled under her breath. She was feeling really weird at this point for asking Roman if he would kill her, that had come out so wrong and reminded him of bad times. She wondered if it was the bad memory or if he really gave a damn what happened to her.<p>

"HELLO FRIEND!" Ruby nearly jumped out of her skin at the sudden Nora.

"Hi, Nora." Ruby smiled, though she was afraid Nora would see right through it.

"That was so awesome yesterday! I ended up getting two cats and a puppy!" Nora said.

"And you thought the game was dumb." Ruby chuckled.

"No, just mean! And it can be but now I know why Ren works so hard to look after me." Nora beamed.

"Yep!" Ruby smiled, trying to seem enthusiastic.

Something caught Nora's attention. "Oh! I gotta go, see you later!" and off she went.

Ruby sighed, her chest hurting from the emotional turmoil in her life.

* * *

><p>She avoided as many people as she could for the rest of the morning, going back to the dorm room and trying to focus on studies instead. Her whole body seemed to be hurting now and she felt sick from the stress of Weiss, the impending doom and fear she'd lose everyone.<p>

Her nightmare made her want to avoid everyone in school, feeling as if they'd notice her pain and see her as weak or something.

She tried not to notice the other girls returning, including Weiss.

Yang gave Ruby an encouraging smile and motioned at Weiss, who was now at her own computer.

Ruby just shook her head.

Blake who had been watching the exchange put a hand on Yang's shoulder as a signal to leave things be.

It was about one thirty and someone knocked at the door.

Blake answered then looked back into the room.

"Ruby, it's a package for you, you gotta sign for it." She explained, holding the door.

"What did you order?" Weiss asked.

"Nothing.." Ruby replied, letting her confusion show in her voice as she hopped down and headed for the door.

She then had a sickening feeling in her stomach that it might be something from Roman. How would she explain that? She swallowed the lump in her throat and signed for the package, which was pretty big but not heavy at all. She set the squatty square box in the middle of the room, feeling like she was being watched by beowolves as she tore off the brown paper and opened the box inside. It was filled with packing peanuts and she dug through, quickly finding another box.

"Is this a joke?" Ruby asked.

She pulled the second box out to find it was clearly printed showing a very nice laptop and listing its abilities. It was high dollar, best money could buy... or steal... Right now.

"Gotta be a joke." Yang said, looking at it.

"There's a note." Blake said, picking it up.

Ruby froze, not sure what was about to happen.

Blake read it aloud. "Congratulations! You are the lucky winner of the online drawing for a new laptop! As was included with your entry information you have received a candy apple red model. Thank you for your participation and remember, always come to Torch Computing with all your electronics needs!"

"Wow." Weiss said dryly.

"Cool!" Yang said. "You needed a new one, what a lucky break!"

"Minecraft should run a thousand times better on this thing." Blake agreed.

Ruby was relieved, they had all believed Roman's letter. 'Torch Computing'? More like 'Torchwick Thieving.' She tried not to think about where it came from though, it _was_ a gift after all. Opening it up and checking it out, the top was a candy apple red, as were the keyboard and lights, the rest was gunmetal black. She had to admit, he could pick out a good computer.

As Ruby went to her desk to plug in and set up her new toy Blake continued digging through the peanuts, which reminded Ruby of a kitten playing in a box. She shook that thought from her head though as Blake would murder her for it.

"Check it out Ruby, this was in the box too." Blake said, holding up a matching wireless mouse.

"Awesome." Ruby smiled.

"I'll open it for you." Blake offered, taking on the evil secure plastic.

"That's our lucky leader! Yang said, wrapping an arm around Ruby's shoulders and giving her a squeeze. Even with the positive attitude of Bumblebee, Ruby could still feel the waves of cold coming off of Weiss. Regardless, Ruby set up her new laptop and mouse as well as installing minecraft and transferring things over from her old computer, which she wasn't sure what to do with now, seeing as she didn't need it.

She meant to read about her new computer in it's booklet while installing things but the problem was that it was so fast that she couldn't even pick up the booklet before it was done and ready for the next thing. Very soon though she had everything installed and took a moment to read up on it. It had an insane amount of hard drive space, RAM, and processing power. The screen, webcam and graphics card where of the highest quality and the overall build was good and sturdy. Most impressive of all was the twelve hour battery, that was if she was running it with full screen brightness on more intense games than the one she played. She loved it.

Logging on to the game she was blown away with how smooth it ran and how far away she could see. She was thoroughly enjoying it.

TheGreatOz has left the game.  
>TheGreatOz has joined the game.<br>TheGreatOz has left the game.  
>TheGreatOz has joined the game.<br>CookieHuntress: Your computer still hates you, professor?  
>TheGreatOz: Unfortunately.<br>TheGreatOz has left the game.  
>CookieHuntress has left the game.<p>

Ruby logged out and picked up her old laptop, deleting all of her personal things that were now on the new one. She closed the lid on her new one, which would activate the password screen. She'd never password locked her computer before but if Weiss didn't trust her, she didn't want Weiss on her new computer. She stopped for a moment, wondering how it had come to that. She pushed the thought aside though, shutting down her old laptop and gathering up it's cord.

"What are you going to do with that one?" Blake asked.

"Give it to professor Ozpin so he can actually play the game. I don't need it anymore." Ruby answered, heading for the door.

"Kissing up to the headmaster for a reason?" Weiss snarkily remarked.

"No. Just being nice. Not like you would understand." Ruby replayed then left, biting her lip at how cold that had been.

Once she arrived at Ozpin's offices she knocked and he called her in.

"Ah, Ruby, what brings you here today? And whats that you have there? A computer?" He asked, curious.

"I won a new laptop from a drawing so I don't need this one. It plays the game pretty well so I thought I would give it to you so you could finally really get to play." Ruby said all in one breath, plopped the laptop down, turned and ran back through the door before he could argue, stirring papers up in her wake.

Ruby was smiling on her way back to the dorms, for the first time in a while she felt good about something. She thought then it might be a good idea to thank Roman, pulling her scroll she started a message.

**_Hey, thanks for the laptop, you didn't have to do that. I_**

**_appreciate it though! Just, don't tell me if it's stolen K?_**

_No problem Red, you needed it. I'll see you later tonight._

Still happy, Ruby deleted the messages, not wanting them to be seen. She didn't notice Cardin peek over her shoulder as he passed, didn't even notice he passed her at all.

Ruby returned to find the laptop still closed but the box and booklet in the hands of Bumblebee.

"We can make video calls to dad with this." Yang was saying.

"I don't see why not." Ruby smiled.

"What did Ozpin say about the laptop?" Yang asked.

"Dunno, told him why he could have it, left it on his desk and left before he could argue." Ruby admitted.

Yang and Blake both laughed at that.

All settled in to do things and Ruby spent the next few hours ignoring Weiss and learning her new computer.

"Ozpin is able to stay online now, he said to tell you thanks." Blake informed from her spot with Yang. Ruby hadn't even noticed they had started playing.

* * *

><p>Once the sun was nearing the horizon Yang proclaimed that the team would be going out to eat tonight. No arguing.<p>

The four went Yang's favorite place, which had just reopened after remodeling. The food was still as good as they all remembered it yet something seemed off, Ruby realizing it was Weiss, who was not really eating, kind of like Ruby had felt the night before. Ruby was at a loss though, having no idea what to tell her girlfriend. She stopped, wondering if she could still call Weiss that. She wished she knew what was bothering her so badly. On the walk home Weiss lagged back a bit and Ruby took that as her opportunity to work things out.

"Can we talk?" Ruby asked, falling into step beside Weiss.

"What about?" Weiss asked in a less than friendly manner.

"Us." Ruby said simply.

"What's there to say?" Weiss asked.

"Are you going to finally quit hiding things?"

"Weiss, please, I'm not hiding anything from you." Ruby pleaded.

"I don't believe you." Weiss stated, quickening her pace.

"What do you want me to say?" Ruby asked, matching pace.

Weiss stopped, tears rimming her eyes. "The truth! Don't think I don't know, I'm not as stupid as you seem to think. I just want to hear it from you!"

Ruby stopped, looking at Weiss in confusion and wondering what she was talking about exactly.

"I care about you Weiss, I really do." Ruby said, hoping that might be it.

Weiss only shook her head saying. "Hopeless." and storming off.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I totally wasn't hungry for burgers when I wrote this...**


	4. Downfall

Once back at the dorm Ruby took her new computer and left without a word to the others. Once she was sure they weren't following or watching she climbed to her new spot. Once she was settled, the computer booted and logged on, Ruby messaged Roman.

**_Hey! Have you eaten yet?_**

It took a few minutes for him to answer and she was beginning to wonder if he would. A good five or so minutes passed before he finally responded.

_Sorry, I just got out of the shower. No, haven't eaten yet. Have you?_

Ruby felt her cheeks going warm as she pictured Roman, dripping wet with only a towel around his waist. She then slapped her self in the face, hard, with an audible "No, bad."

**_Yeah, but I figured with all you've done its my turn. What's your_**

**_address? I'll send you a pizza._**

_But then you will know where I live! How can I know you _

_wont turn me in to the authorities?_

**_I promise I wont. At least give me a place to send it where_**

**_you will get it._**

_Alright, as long as you promise. I live at 4272D Valley street._

**_K, I'll get that ordered. I'll also let you know when everyone has_**

**_logged off the game._**

_Awesome, thanks Red._

With that, Ruby ordered a pizza from her favorite place, having them add it to her tab which she had recently paid off. When questioned about the change of address she told them that it was a present for a friend and that is where they live. That worked and the order was timed at twenty minutes. She logged onto the game to find Ozpin was still online.

CookieHuntress joined the game.  
>TheGreatOz: Hello Ruby.<br>CookieHuntress: Hello, having more luck now?  
>TheGreatOz: Yes, thank you. A whole working computer is a generous gift.<br>CookieHuntress: It was no problem really!  
>TheGreatOz: Still, thank you. I hear you got a new one from some sort of raffle?<br>CookieHuntress: Yeah, totally forgot I even entered!  
>TheGreatOz: Wonderful, It's serving you well I hope.<br>CookieHuntress: Oh definitely!  
>TheGreatOz: Glad to hear it.<br>CookieHuntress: Is anyone else online.  
>TheGreatOz: Nora I think.<br>LEGBREAKER: HELLO RUBY I HAS SO MANY KITTTIIIEEEESSSS  
>CookieHuntress: That's awesome!<br>TheGreatOz: Well, I think I'll call it a night. It is nice to log off of my own bidding.  
>CookieHuntress: Goodnight!<br>TheGreatOz has left the game.

Ruby was on for a while before Nora finally logged off, giving Ruby the chance to tell Roman to log on.

**_It's clear, you can log on now._**

RomanEmpire has joined the game.  
>RomanEmpire: You still have my stuff Red?<br>CookieHuntress: Yep, I'm on my way back you your base.  
>RomanEmpire: Perfect.<p>

Once there she dropped his gear... only to accidentally drop half of her things as well and not all of his.

RomanEmpire: Some of this is not mine, here.

He threw it back and told her what he was still missing. Again she managed to screw that up and not give him the right items.

RomanEmpire: You alright Red?  
>CookieHuntress: Just over thinking about stuff, I'm alright.<br>RomanEmpire: Alright.

Finally she got him the right items and they started building on his tower again. It was finally taking shape and he guessed one more trip to the nether would get them finished on the outside. Roman decided they should go to the nether again and he got them ready. Ruby tried to focus and keep them both alive but there were so many things on her mind she was not doing as well.

_Your new computer is not giving you problems is it?_

**_Nonono, just... Have a headache... Yeah, that's all._**

_How about you do the mining and I'll watch your back._

**_Alright._**

Ruby started mining and Roman watched their backs. They were having to travel farther from their portal to get glowstone and quartz. It seemed the farther they went the more dangerous it got and Ruby seemed able to focus less. While mining she struck one of the zombie pigmen, upsetting them all. She didn't fight back as they attacked her, she couldn't bring herself to bother.

RomanEmpire: Red what did you do?  
>CookieHuntress was slain by zombie pig men.<p>

Ruby sat there looking at the "you died" Screen. With all that was going on and as much as it hurt... She felt like she was dying.

_Red? You all right? Why are not responding? I'm not mad at you for_

_making them attack.._

Ruby sat still a long time.. She felt so cold.

_Hey Red, there is a storm rolling in, If you're outside you should get indoors._

_I don't want you getting hurt._

CookieHuntress left the game.

Ruby sighed, shutting her laptop down and laying back on the roof. She didn't mean to fall asleep.

* * *

><p>The morning sun greeted her, still on the roof. Her place on the roof with the support over it had kept her and her laptop dry through the slight rain. She cringed, realizing how her team would treat her for not coming home last night. Regardless, she had classes.<p>

Down to the grounds and off to her room she found her team getting ready for school. It was silent and even Yang didn't look her in the eye. Ruby didn't know how to explain so she just let the silence continue, not sure if it was better or worse than Weiss yelling at her. The others were ready before her and left without her, making her feel like an outcast. She wasn't sure why Yang was mad at her now. Had she expected her to fix things last night?

Ruby sighed, feeling emotionally exhausted and wanting only for things to go back to normal. She felt so very alone. Before leaving she deleted her messages.

Class was tense, her team sitting farther away from her then normal and Blake sitting closest.

Lunch rolled around and Ruby still felt the odd man out. So she decided to take her lunch to the dorm and avoid contact.

She booted up her computer and farting around she decided to go check out everyone else's bases.

Blake and Yang's seemed small at first but it led underground and Ruby found it to be a massive library.

Ren's was hard to find the entrance to but once she did she really appreciated it. While hidden from the ground the thing was massive, he had used shears to gather leaf blocks and used them to build this hidden treehouse. Each of the members of JNPR had a room and there was another for storage and such.

Looking at the time Ruby realized she had time to get to Roman's tower so she went there next.

The place was spectacular, dark brick, white columns, glow stone and glass, it shined in the dark shadow of the mountain. She headed in, finding an odd staircase, once inside she couldn't find her way out again, some of the stairs had even been placed upside down making it easy to get lost. Time running out, Ruby realized he would have to let her out. She was trapped and had little time before classes would resume to fight with it.

* * *

><p><strong>Meanwhile<strong>

* * *

><p>The cafeteria was all a hushed buzz with a new rumor going around that Ruby Rose was the girl to call on a lonely night. Some people saying she'd do 'it' for money others saying she would just for fun.<p>

Team WBY sat together with team JNPR, listening to it all. Weiss looked like she was ready to kill someone.

Yang was equally mad. The bad part of it was... They weren't so sure it wasn't the truth. Their uncertainty left Pyrrha on the edge of believing as well while the rest of her team found it to be fully ridiculous.

Cardin walked past their table and noticed Ruby absent and Weiss's expression.

"Hey Weiss! Where's your girlfriend?" He asked tauntingly.

She shot him an icy death glare.

"What? You don't know? Well, I'll guess she's off screwing someone else!" Cardin said with a menacing laugh.

That laugh cost him though, while he was distracted Weiss pulled her knees up, tucked her feet under her and sprang across the table to land a flying punch that left him flat on his back and knocked the wind out of him.

The tables nearby fell silent as they watched.

Cardin pulled himself up as Weiss set her feet, ready to attack again.

"You're going to regret that." He said, wiping at his bleeding nose.

Before the fight could continue though, Professor Port stepped in.

"Now now, that is enough!" He turned to Cardin. "I enjoy dining with the new generation and listening to their views, you however are spoiling the very air in here."

Cardin stared at him blankly, not smart enough to figure out what the older man was trying to say.

"Basically, go sit down, shut up and behave yourself." Port clarified.

"She's the one who hit me!" Cardin protested.

"I heard what you said to the young miss and frankly, you had it coming." The professor said, not swayed by the sad attempt at an argument.

"This ain't over." He said, pointing at Weiss before walking off.

The professor turned his attention to Weiss. "Don't listen to him, he is honestly a fool, I'm afraid."

With a nod the professor returned to his seat and Weiss returned to hers, she looked between fury and tears and refused to talk.

Still, Ren, Nora and Juane tried to restore team WBY's faith in their leader.

* * *

><p>Soon class resumed and Ruby met back up with the others who were acting even more stand-offish than before, the rest of the student body was whispering and avoiding eye contact but all eyes seemed to be on her. She found herself sitting alone and it was almost more than she could bear.<p>

She noticed Ren give her a sad look and then later Nora too. Something was going on but no one would tell her what. She wasn't sure what to do, or how much more she could take, even professor Port gave her a sympathetic look.

Class ended after what felt like forever, she hadn't even fallen asleep out of the new fear someone might try to mess with her.

Walking to the dorm people were avoiding her and even though it was warm out she found herself wrapping her cloak around her tightly as if she were freezing. She felt alone, like she could trust no one, she was terrified someone was going to try to hurt her. Most of the guys she didn't know where looking at her like a piece of meat and that unnerved her to no end. Finally at the dorm she scooped up her laptop and hid on her bed.

Yang Blake and Weiss all ignored and refused to talk to her and she was beginning to think she must have done something incredibly bad. What if everyone found out she had been in contact with Roman Torchwick? Would they really treat her like this over that?

She curled up in a ball and sobbed silently, hands over her head as if that would further hide her from it all. Her heart was hurting, her whole chest felt like it had a terrible pressure on it and her stomach had knotted to the point of no return. Her neck and shoulders were also knotting up and the pain she was in physically from all the stress made her want to go play on a busy highway.

Time became irrelevant and she felt like she was floating in a black void. She became distantly aware of her scroll buzzing and somehow found the strength to look at it.

_Hey Red, you gonna play tonight? I'm gonna finish my tower _

_and kinda feel like you should be here so..._

She looked around, spotted her laptop and turned it on. The time showed it to be 1:32 am and she guessed everyone was asleep from the sounds in the room. She logged on to find herself still in the same spot as before, trapped.

CookieHuntress has joined the game.  
>RomanEmpire: Good to see you Red!<p>

For a moment she had no idea what to say, she needed to tell him she was trapped in the trick stairwell but she found herself not really caring. She found herself not caring about much of anything and she wondered why she had even bothered to log on.

RomanEmpire: Red? Are you alright?  
>RomanEmpire: Hellooo Remnant to Red!<p>

Finally she found the will to answer.

CookieHuntress: I'm trapped in your stairwell.

There was silence a moment and then one of the walls seemed to vanish. He had set up a sticky piston door to hide the exit. She wasn't even sure how one would get in that way.

RomanEmpire: Sorry Red, this is a one way exit and a falsie entrance.  
>CookieHuntress: Oh.<p>

She followed him out and through the tower then suddenly he stopped so she just stood there and waited.

Her scroll buzzed again.

_Red? Are you alright? I mean actually ok? Are you sick? You are_

_acting weird in the game, have been for a couple days and I have to_

_admit I'm a little worried._

"He's a criminal, you can't trust him." Those thoughts ran through her head. She wanted to scream, the people she trusted, the ones she loved, they were hurting her and she didn't know why. She wanted to trust Roman, her instincts and heart told her she could but her brain said no and she had no idea which to listen to anymore.

**_I can't talk about it. I'm sorry._**

She finally said, that though seemed to only worry him more and he sent another message.

_I understand if you don't want to talk, or if you don't want to talk to_

_me but something is wrong isn't it? I'm not gonna hurt you Red,_

_you can trust me._

She wanted to, she really did. But she knew she shouldn't.

**_Maybe tomorrow._**

_Ok, ok. I'll stop pushing. At least try to relax a bit? Help me finish_

_this tower?_

She sighed and returned her attention to her laptop. He had given it to her just so she could play, after all. She helped him place the last of the blocks, he gave her the duty of placing the nether brick and glow stones in the proper pattern and he placed the quartz columns. Soon, it was complete and she had to admit it was stunningly beautiful in it's own right. It glowed brightly in the dark and she bet it could be seen from a ways off.

RomanEmpire: Thanks, this has been awesome, now I should think about something else I can build.  
>RomanEmpire has left the game.<p>

_Hey Red, I hope you start feeling better, sweet dreams._

Somehow she felt like none of that would happen anytime soon. She logged off, shut down her computer and went to sleep.

* * *

><p>The next day she woke to the sounds of her team getting ready for school, though, she was afraid she couldn't call them that anymore, considering they didn't even acknowledge her existence anymore.<p>

She waited until they left before even getting up, she ran late to class and didn't care, she had a hard time focusing and found herself alone. They had completely abandoned her, everyone.

Everyone save Roman.

Lunch rolled around and she found herself starving, having eaten little at lunch yesterday and skipping dinner and breakfast she realized she'd better eat _something_. She decided to brave the cafeteria, figuring she could find a dark corner and hope she'd be left alone. She didn't like how all the guys looked at her and most of the girls glanced at her in disgust. She really wished she knew what was going on.

Food in hand she was trying to find a place to eat when one of those guys stood, blocking her path.

"How bout you and me tonight, eh?" He said, reaching up and grabbing her breast.

She squeaked in shock and threw her tray at him, stumbling back. He deflected the food and advanced on her again. "Come on, I know you'd like it."

"No! Leave me alone!" She backed away, frantically scanning the room she spotted her team. "Freezer-burn! Help!"

They looked away.

She was suddenly filled with a cold panic. She was alone.

When she turned back to face the guy though she was just in time to see Nora's fist connect with his face. She felt a wave of relief and that got stronger when Ren stepped in front of her protectively and backing up Nora.

"Don't you dare touch her again or I swear I WILL break your legs." Nora said in a dangerous tone.

The guy looked at Nora, past her to Ren and then to Ruby hiding behind him. He decided it wasn't worth his time, got up and left.

That was all she could handle. Ruby fell apart. She was in uncontrollable tears, it felt like her life was over. Her sister and her girlfriend had turned away when she needed them and she didn't even know why. The pain she felt was more than she could bare and she was only vaguely aware of Ren and Nora taking her to one of the tables.

She cried and was freaked out and hurt and somewhere managed to hear voices, she realized them to be the voices of not only Ren and Nora but also Juane, Sun and Neptune. She tried to control herself, tried to listen to what they were saying. It was difficult though, as the mass overload of stress and shock were working to drag her into unconsciousness. She struggled against it, managing to hear the reassurances of the others, the promise to break legs of anyone else who tried to hurt her. Still, she couldn't seem to regain control of herself, she was light headed and muggy headed at the same time, she felt like she couldn't breath and her throat was constricted so she couldn't even speak, only make struggled noises and that made her panic more, then though all that she heard Glynda's voice.

"Get back! Get back! Give her room to breathe!" The Professor ordered.

Everyone who had been trying to calm her down where now stepping back a little but staying within arms length and all trying to explain what happened at the same time.

"We can worry about that later right now just be quiet." Glynda said, sitting next to Ruby as the others did as she ordered and shut up.

Nothing made sense to Ruby at the moment and she was really struggling to breathe now, she couldn't see properly and everything hurt. Somewhere she felt someone gently touch her face and turn her head. She felt like she was looking at the professor but couldn't see her.

"Ruby, It's alright, look at me, focus, take a deep breathe, it's ok. Your safe." Glynda said calmly.

Ruby tried, she took a deep breath and for a moment her eyes almost came into focus, she could almost see Glynda but then suddenly all was dark and she knew nothing.

* * *

><p>When Ruby came to she was alone other than Nora in an office she hadn't seen before.<p>

"You okay?" Nora asked, uncharacteristically calm.

"I..." Ruby herself didn't even know the answer to that question.

"Well... we are in Glynda's office and she told me to look after you till she came back." Nora explained, she seemed worried.

Ruby wasn't sure why she was here, then she began to remember and her body started to tense again. Nora must have notice because she took Ruby's hand and told her everything would be fine.

"Thank you, for standing up for me before." Ruby said after a bit of time had passed.

Nora nodded, smiling. "No problem."

The door opened and Glynda stepped in.

"Ah, you're awake, good. You gave us a scare, Miss Rose." Glynda said, she nodded to Nora and the bouncy girl left with a small "See you!"

Glynda sat next to Ruby, keeping her tone calm and comforting. "What happened back there?"

"I... I dunno... I've been kinda stressed... and this guy he just... I dunno... He stood and grabbed me." Ruby placed her hand to indicate where and a dark look crossed Glynda's face. "Go on."

"I pushed him away but he kept following and when I called out to my team... they ignored me." Ruby's voice got very small at the end.

"Do you know why?" Glynda asked.

Tears started to fall again. "I don't, they won't talk to me, won't even look at me. I don't understand, I don't know what I did." She started sobbing again and Glynda rubbed her back and tried to sooth her.

Ruby finally managed to regain her composure and Glynda asked her to continue.

"My team... Ignored me and I was scared, that guy looked like he was ready to rip my clothes off right there! But then Nora punched him and told him off and Ren backed her up and I don't really remember anything else." Ruby explained.

"Do you know who it was that tried to grab you?" She asked.

Ruby shook her head. "I've seen him around I think. So he's a student."

"Well, I will do what I can to figure out who his is and see to it he understands that this behavior is unacceptable. I will personally see to it that it is made clear this sort of thing will not be tolerated. Ruby, you are welcome to stay in my office until you feel safe to leave. I have to go teach the next class though. Are you alright by yourself?" Glynda asked.

Ruby nodded, not really wanting to be alone but really not wanting to be around anyone ether.

With that Glynda left, she popped back in between classes, bringing Ruby some water and a sandwich at one point. Finally Glynda came in with papers and informed Ruby that class was out, but she was still welcome to stay.

Ruby was silent while Glynda did paperwork, there was a large looking storm rolling in from what they could see through the window and Ruby just kinda hoped she was struck by lightning or something.

Glynda seemed to noticed Ruby's darkening mood because she picked then to speak up. "Ruby, everything will be fine. Tomorrow I plan to take your team to Ozpin and find out what is going on. I have two entrusted senior students to look for the boy who attacked you earlier and he WILL be punished for his actions."

Ruby only nodded absently with a distant "Thanks."

"Ruby please, don't let this get to you, you are going to make a fine huntress one day, I can see it." Glynda said encouragingly.

* * *

><p>It was long since dark by the time Ruby left Glynda's office. It was starting to rain and she really didn't care, she reached the dorm and with a loud crack of thunder the rain started pouring. She didn't care.<p>

Returning to her room she found it empty, so, she took her laptop, put it in a bag this time and headed back out. It was just getting darker it seemed and Ruby felt like that was oddly fitting. She was standing at the base of the building she had been hanging out on the roof of and she took a deep breath, knowing it would be harder to scale in the rain. Regardless she wanted to be alone and that was the only place she felt she was safe. She was part way up when the thunder rolled again with a flash of lighting and the power at Beacon went out, plunged in complete darkness after the bright flash not only could Ruby not see but she was disoriented.

She knew she was near the top but miscalculated, slipped and fell, and it was not a short drop. She landed hard, unable to see the ground and attempt a better landing, she had landed mostly on one foot then slammed to the ground, knocking the wind out of her. She lay there in the soaked grass and stared at the dark sky, rain hammering her, painful as hail. She didn't know how long she was there but she saw several flashes of lighting before she was able to get back up. Her ankle didn't work right now and she knew she couldn't reach her spot, so, she returned to the dorm, limping bad the whole way, she was hurting in more ways than one and tired.

She felt like she had forgotten how to smile, like she had forgotten how to be happy. She felt like the whole world wanted things they couldn't have from her but it would take them anyway.

She found the dorm in the dark, students having lit candles and a few putting them in the windows to guide teammates who were not in yet. She reached her dorm after much struggling and she was really worn out and in pain at this point. She reached for the doorknob and suddenly had the sickening feeling she should just go somewhere else.

She stopped, then realized there was nowhere else she could go if she wanted. With a heavy Heart and weary mind, she opened the door.

* * *

><p><strong>A****N: I'm not sorry for the cliff hanger.**


	5. Loss or Gain

**A/N: This was written back in July before we found out more about Ruby and Yang's parents, so, if details seem off, that is why.**

* * *

><p>Ruby opened the door only to find her teammates lit by candles. There was no candle in their window. She looked to their faces, the candlelight exaggerating their features. Weiss was in tears, Yang's eyes were red, Blake looked somewhere between disappointed and lost.<p>

Something about this felt very wrong but she tried to push that aside, limping into the room. The expressions of the others got darker, as if something had just been proven to them.

"What's going on? Why are you guys so upset? Yang?" Ruby asked, struggling to sound normal.

"Why are you limping." Yang asked, her tone so cold and dark Ruby wasn't sure this was really her sister.

"I slipped in the rain after the power went out, sprained my ankle." Ruby explained.

"Really?" Weiss asked, not believing it for a moment. "Why were you out in the first place?"

"After what happened today I just wanted to be alone." Ruby said with a cold glare. "Excuse me if I don't want to be around the so called team who abandoned me when I needed them most."

"Oh really?" Weiss snarled. "Funny, because my so called girlfriend has been sleeping around on me."

That hit Ruby hard, she had done no such thing, nor would she ever but that had to have been what was bothering her all this time. So shocked from the whiplash she couldn't argue the point.

"Where have you been going? Who have you been talking to?" Weiss demanded. "HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN CHEATING ON ME!?"

"I haven't." Ruby said weakly.

"Ruby, stop lying." Yang said coldly. That cold with those eyes was the scariest thing Ruby had ever seen in her life.

"I'm not..." She tried to explain.

"Then why have you been sneaking out huh? Where have you been GOING." Weiss screamed the last word.

"Why so fancy a laptop? Why take it with you when you sneak out?" Yang asked darkly.

"What?" Ruby asked, confused.

"It's got an awful fine camera on it!" Weiss snapped. "And it's locked! You're hiding something! What is it?"

Ruby looked between the girls, when she had called for freezer-burn this was not what she had meant.

"Nice show in the cafeteria today by the way." Weiss said, changing subjects.

Ruby gave her an incredulous look. "Every minute of that was real."

"Right, like you staying faithful to me." Weiss growled.

"I had so much pride in you Ruby, but I guess that was wrong of me. You have not only embarrassed me at this school but disappointed me as a sister. I found out the truth Ruby." Yang said.

"You won't even stop lying now that the truth is out. You have been sneaking out, sleeping around and likely recording it. I don't know what happened to you but I won't stand for it." Weiss growled, tears in her eyes, in the dark Ruby couldn't see Weiss pull her hand back as she stepped closer. "We are over Ruby Rose!" Weiss slapped Ruby hard enough to turn her head.

Ruby just stood there, shocked.

"I was proud of you Ruby. We all trusted you." Yang's voice was dangerously calm. "But now I know you not only cheated on Weiss but you did it with half the students here!" Yang was raising her voice and Ruby felt the final nails being hammered into her coffin, as unjust a burial as it was.

"I guess you take after your slut mother more than I thought." Yang growled.

That did it. Ruby could take no more, tears welled and she screamed. "NONE OF THIS IS TRUE!"

Ruby snatched Crescent Rose from the place it rested and, with the strap of the laptop bag still over her shoulder she turned and ran for the door.

"Believe what you want! It doesn't matter anymore!" She yelled through the tears and ran out into the dark, stormy night.

* * *

><p>She ran, fast as her feet would carry her, she ignored the pain in her ankle, the pain in her heart was far worse, she was sure she was going to die. She ran, in the dark she wasn't even sure where she was going but anywhere was better than this living hell.<p>

There had been no candle in the window. They didn't want her to return.

Beacon wasn't her home anymore. She wasn't safe here anymore.

Weiss hated her now, Yang as well. She was alone.

She had nowhere to go. No one to turn to.

She was cold, and the pain within was a crushing, stabbing vortex of agony. She was crying, she was hurt and hungry. She was lost in the dark and her run slowed to a walk. She had made it into Vale and, guessing from the recent lightning flash, the city had lost power as well.

Ruby had lost everything in an instant. Her dreams of the future, any future, had been shattered. The two people she loved most hated her. She had no home, no friends and no future.

She had no reason to live.

She wandered down the middle of the street. She felt like she walked forever. She really wished lightning would strike and kill her dead right in the middle of the street.

She saw headlights approaching.

She put herself in line with them.

The rain was heavy, she was soaked, the power was out, they wouldn't see her until it was too late.

In that moment, the car surely too close and too fast to dodge, she remembered something.

Roman.

He still cared.

He might be the only one.

But he did.

Lightning flash overhead just in time for the driver to see her, they swerved, only clipping her and throwing her to the side, not really hurt, just bruised.

She lay on the sidewalk, noticing the street sign the cars headlights had lit up.

Valley street. The 4200 block.

Ruby got to her feet and looked around. Another flash of lightning showed the block to her left was buildings of no more than two stories high. That meant the block to her right was his.

She walked, looking closer at the buildings now, she saw some candlelit rooms but one stood out.

On the top floor of a four floor building, a man with short red hair set a candle in his window.

Something felt right and her tears started anew. She slipped through the gate and round to the stairs of the building. They were metal and slick from all the pouring rain, with her bum leg she slipped and landed face first on the stairs, busting her lip.

She pushed herself up and climbed the rest of the way, she was crying, hurt, hungry, bleeding, soaked and miserable.

She knocked on the door.

Roman answered, holding a candle in one hand and the door in the other. His features were actually quite nice in that light.

Hers however, with a busted lip, skin pale from stress, eyes red from tears and more still falling, her hair soaked and muddy, she looked like she had been hit by a car.

"RED!" Roman exclaimed when he realized it was her, he was going to step back and let her in but she fell into his arms, a sobbing mess.

"Red, what happened? Who did this to you? Is this what you couldn't talk about?" He asked, awkwardly holding her, trying to get her out of the rain and close the door. He pulled her over to a bench in the fourier and had her sit down, kneeling, cradling her face in one hand and holding the candle with the other to look at her. He was clearly afraid she was badly injured with all the blood from her lip, but upon closer inspection he realized it was just her lip and relaxed a little.

"What happened, Red?" He asked again, much calmer now.

She tried to answer, she wanted to but the pain was still more than she could bear and her voice refused to work, leaving her to just cry harder.

"Whatever it is, it's got to be bad to put a strong woman like you in this kind of shape." He sighed.

He looked her over a moment, trying to decide how he could help her. He knew being in those wet clothes and covered in mud couldn't be helping.

"Can I take your cloak and hang it up? So it can dry?" He asked.

She only nodded but he did so, hanging it on the coat rack opposite his coat and hat. It was only then she realized he was wearing only dark colored fleece pajamas, barefoot and without his gloves.

"Want me to help with your boots?" He asked, she nodded. He started on the one she hurt earlier and when she squeaked in pain he was much more careful.

"This is going to start swelling..." He mumbled under his breath.

Once her boots were off he picked her up in both arms, leaving her laptop and Crescent Rose on the bench. He carried her to the bathroom, set her on the counter and gave her a towel. As she dried off Roman dug around in the cabinets and got out what he needed to clean her wound and wrap her ankle. Ruby felt odd watching him. The warmth she'd found in the strangest of places... She no longer saw him as an enemy or even as a threat. Right now, he was her only friend. The places in her chest where she had felt burning pain not but a few moments earlier were now cold, painfully so but more bearable. The rest of her felt numb. She sat in the near dark as a steady stream of tears ran down her face and she sniffled a bit.

Once the supplies were gathered, Roman left the room. Ruby stared after him, confused. He quickly returned though, cracking something in his hands. He shook it and the glowstick came to life, filling the room with chemical white light.

"Hold this near your face." He instructed, handing it to her.

She did so and he set to work, cleaning the blood from her face gently with a damp cloth and leaning close to see what he was doing. His face only inches from hers and she felt very awkward so she held very still. Once the wound was cleaned and disinfected he covered it in liquid bandage and nodded his approval. He then set to work wrapping her ankle. "This isn't too tight is it?"

"No." She managed to say, though her voice still cracked.

With a nod he set the bandage clip so it would stay. "I don't want you walking on this, alright?"

She nodded.

He moved to pick her back up. "I think I have some dry clothes that will kinda fit you."

She let him pick her up and carry her across the living room to his bed room. He set her on the bed and dug through a dresser a moment.

"These will work I think." He said, handing them to her and leaving the room. "Call me when you are done and I'll come get you. I don't want you walking on that ankle any more than necessary."

Ruby nodded and he closed the door.

She set to changing clothes, trying not to think about how she got there, trying not to think about all she had lost.

He had given her a pair of drawstring pajama pants, even though they were too big she could make them fit and a t-shirt that was a couple of sizes too big but old, worn and comfortable.

Once redressed she sat a moment, not sure her voice would really work yet. The images of the day flashed through her mind again and she dissolved into tears once more. Roman must have heard because he knocked.

"Red? You alright in there?... I'm coming in." He warned, giving a count of three before walking back in.

Seeing she'd gotten dressed he sat beside her and pulled her close and let her cry on his shoulder. Finally she found the strength to speak again, through her tears. Finally she decided to trust him.

"I... I don't understand." She sobbed.

"Understand what?" He asked gently.

"Why... Weiss dumped me, Yang hates me. This guy at the cafeteria grabbed me and they wouldn't help me!" She sobbed.

"Grabbed you how?" Roman asked, his voice darkening.

Ruby reached over and touched the left side of his chest.

"That sleazy little bastard! Who is he?! I'll bury him so deep he'll be in another kingdom!"

"I don't know." She admitted. "The whole school had been acting weird since yesterday."

He frowned. "Any idea why?"

She shook her head.

"Alright, how about this. You start by telling me about any interaction that you had with anyone who might have caused this mess." Roman offered.

"Well... Weiss started avoiding me weeks ago... I ran into Cardin, the resident bully and jerkface." Ruby said, thinking back.

"What happened with this Cardin? Word for word." Roman asked.

"Well, I literally ran into him, knocking us both down. He pulled me up and offered to forgive me if I kissed him, I refused and he refused to let me go, asking me to go out with him. I refused. I got away from him and ran away." She explained.

"And about how smart is this Cardin trash?" Roman asked casually.

"Um... I don't know... Not as smart as others." Ruby said, not really sure.

"And just a few days after, that is when everyone at school started acting strange?" He asked.

"Yeah." She nodded.

"Do you remember what the garbage that grabbed you said?" He asked.

"Uh, something like, how about me tonight?" She said, trying to remember, that memory was thankfully a bit hazy.

"And what did Weiss say when she broke up with you?" He asked gently.

Ruby swallowed hard, her throat constricting and tears welling. "She claimed I had been cheating on her. Said I was hiding things from her. Yang claimed I slept with half the school." Ruby started crying again and Roman hugged her.

"I know what happened." He said, having figured it out. He gave her a moment to regain control and then shared his theory.

"When you turned that Cardin trash down you hurt his ego and his tiny brain came up with a plan to get back at you. He started spreading rumors and doubts and it got back to your team. With you leaving to get away from Weiss for a while made it easier for them to believe." He said.

Ruby nodded. "That's it."

He hugged her again. "Now you know why. So. I think I can fix this."

She looked up at him, hopeful.

"You tell me what dorm the trash lives in and I'll hire someone to take him out." He said cheerfully.

Ruby gave him a flat look. "That won't fix anything."

He frowned. "Oh."

After a moment he stood, scooping her up again and heading for the living room. "Well, at any rate, you need to get that foot elevated and under ice."

He set her on the couch and pulled up an ottoman, piled it high with pillows then set her injured leg up on it. He then vanished into what she guessed was the kitchen. He returned a moment later with an ice pack, a pizza box and another box, a bakery one.

He set the Ice pack over her ankle then set the boxes on the table. "I hope you are alright with cold pizza, with the power out..."

She nodded, managing a weak smile. "I haven't eaten all day."

"Damn, Red, that has to stop." He said.

They fell into silence while eating then Ruby remembered something. She glanced over to the window she'd seen Roman put the candle in only to see he'd moved it elsewhere.

"Why did you put the candle in the window? I saw you when you did." Ruby asked.

Roman smiled faintly. "One of the things that my grandmother taught me. When your broom falls at random it means company is coming. I was in the kitchen after the power went out, looking for matches. Now, my broom was in it's place, leaning against the wall where it always is. I was nowhere near it and it fell down. I had the strangest feeling I should put a candle in the window then. I guess I knew you were coming in a way."

Ruby gave her first real smile since giving away her old laptop. "I guess you did."

The other box he had brought in was filled with an assortment of cookies and he told her to help herself.

Realizing some milk might be good, he got up and headed for the kitchen. He stopped when passing her foot though, deciding to see how it was doing. Moving the glow stick near her foot and checked it. His face was grim when he looked back at her.

"What exactly did you do to your leg anyway?"

"I... uh, well, I was trying to get on the roof even though it was raining then the power went out and I couldn't see so I fell." She explained.

"Can you feel it? Any pain?" He asked.

"No... and no..." She answered. "It's numb."

"Your foot is turning black. You broke your ankle Red. I'm taking you to a doctor first thing in the morning." He said in a voice that left no room for argument.

She only nodded, trusting his judgment.

He went back to the kitchen again and returned with a glass of milk for each of them.

The storm held no plans of relenting, it seemed, and the power was still out so Roman suggested calling it a night. He offered her his bed, saying he'd take the coach. When he took her in there though, got her settled with her foot elevated and bundled in soft warm blankets, he rose to leave but she held on to him.

"Will you... Stay with me?" She asked, afraid of being alone. She felt odd asking this.

"I suppose." He sighed softly, getting settled beside her. He had made sure to not to disturb her elevated foot.

Again she felt very strange, she was in the bed of her once enemy, wounded and about to go to sleep. She sighed, listening to the sounds in the strange dark room. The sound of the storm outside, of Roman's soft breathing beside her, he'd fallen asleep quickly. Of the sounds the old building made in the wind. She wasn't sure how long she listened before she finally fell asleep.

* * *

><p><em>She found herself in the cold mist again, looking for Weiss, but same as before, it was too late and the Ice Queen insulted her.<em>

_Yang kneeling over a grave Ruby couldn't read and crying._

_The students pointing._

_Roman and the Beowolves._

_Ozpin putting alcohol in his coffee._

_Roman shooting her._

* * *

><p>Ruby woke from her nightmare screaming, worse this time as she didn't know where she was and the first thing she saw was a worried Roman. She screamed, panicked and tried to thrash away, unable to tell the difference from the dream and reality yet, she was quickly working her way into a panic attack.<p>

Roman grabbed her, pulled her close, held her head to his shoulder and put his face near her ear.

Somewhere Ruby heard someone singing, a man, and he was good, very good. The song was very soothing and she was able to calm down and really wake up, that's when she realized it was Roman singing. He was holding her, trying and succeeding in calming her down.

Ruby felt safe for the first time in a while.

And suddenly it hit her. She could never go back to Beacon. She didn't belong there anymore. This is where she belonged now.

She wrapped her arms around him, hugging him and snuggling her face against him.

His grip on her loosened when he realized she had calmed down and he stopped singing.

She looked up into his eyes.

"You okay now, Red?" He asked and she could see clearly that he genuinely cared.

"I am now... Will you keep singing a little more... I really liked it." She asked sheepishly.

Something flickered in his eyes, that had struck something deep in him, it meant a lot to him that she liked his singing. Without another word he obliged.


	6. The Search and The Recovery

**A/N: In celebration of several awesome things going on right now for me, I've decided to give you all a bonus chapter! I will still be updating regular time as well but really felt generous so here you go. Enjoy!**

* * *

><p>The storm had broken in the wee hours of the morning so when Professor Ozpin headed in, all of Beacon was aglitter with dew in the morning sun. He should have felt it was a beautiful morning but something in the back of his mind told him this was going to be a long day.<p>

He reached his office, heading for his desk with a fresh cup of coffee in hand and noticed a report on his desk, from the color of the paper he knew it was an incident report.

He sighed, this _was_ going to be a long day.

Picking up the report he found it was from Glynda, reading it over his mood quickly soured further.

The paper detailed the minor sexual assault on one Ruby Rose in the cafeteria yesterday at lunch.

The incident was outlined by the overall reports from eyewitnesses.

It went on to report the boy had not been found as of yet.

However, the rumor that was the likely cause of his actions was rooted out and found to be started by one Cardin Winchester.

Also reported was Ruby's call for help from her team which was ignored, members of team JNPR being the ones to step in.

He was nearly finished with the report and his first cup of coffee when Glynda came in.

"Ruby has gone missing." She reported.

Ozpin froze for a minute, reading what he just had and hearing she'd run off left a very bad feeling in his gut.

"When?" He asked.

"Last night, during the storm, not long after the power went out. So about 10:15 pm. According to Blake Belladonna she had a fight with her sister and Weiss and has run off." She explained.

"I'll be back in a while." He said, dropping the report back on his desk and heading out of the room.

Professor Ozpin easily figured that Glynda had gone to check on Ruby only to find her missing and now he had a few words for her team.

He reached their dorm quickly and knocked in a demanding manner.

Blake was once again the one to answer. "Professor Ozpin..." She said, surprised.

"I need to speak with you three." He said, walking in.

Weiss and Yang exchanged looks and faced the professor.

"I would like to know your reason for turning against your leader." He stated, his usual kindness gone, leaving him cold and even toned.

"She betrayed our trust." Weiss stated.

"How?" He asked without hesitation.

"She lied to us, she was sneaking out all the time and seeing someone, a lot of someones." Weiss said angrily.

"You have proof?" He asked.

They fell silent for a moment. "Nothing completely solid but everything added up and..."

"Do you really have so little faith in your leader?" He asked and was met by silence.

"What you heard about her actions with the male population of the school was a lie. A rumor cooked up by Cardin Winchester in an attempt to get back at her for turning him down." Ozpin said.

Weiss's eyes fell to the floor, she suddenly felt ashamed of herself.

"And to be honest I don't blame her for sneaking out with you lot treating her the way you were." He added.

They were silent so he continued.

"I bet none of you ever followed her either. So, if you'd like to know where she was, she was on the lower roof of the main tower. And do you know what she was doing? Playing Minecraft." He said flatly, leaving them all to feel like idiots.

"So, let me put it to you this way. Someone who suffered what she was suffering only to have the pain of being abandoned by those they cared about are at a very high risk of suicide." He let that sink in.

"Classes will be postponed for the day for the entire school. I want every able body out looking for her and I hope for your sake she is still alive." He added then left, returning to his office to make the announcement.

On the other side of town, as Ozpin was only just getting to work...

Roman finished another song and hugged Ruby tight then let her go. "We need to get you in to a doctor."

She nodded. "Alright, you think my clothes are dry?"

"No, but I may have some that will work..." He said, kneeling next to the bed and reaching under it. He pulled out a box and dusted it off, opening it revealed that it held a handful of assorted items that must have been sentimental to him. Among them was a pair of jeans small enough for her to wear and a tank top that would fit better than the current t-shirt.

Grabbing what he would wear for the day he slipped from the room so she could have some privacy.

Once ready to go he carefully carried Ruby down the slick stairs and to the four car garage behind the apartments.

Still carrying her, he punched in his code on the keypad and the door rolled up, revealing a really nice and rather expensive car. It was classy, white with black and chrome details, it had a long engine, a soft top and dark tinted windows, making it difficult to see in.

He carried her over to the passenger side and skillfully opened the door with his arms full of Ruby, setting her in the nice black leather seat.

He closed the door and walked around. Ruby took that moment to look the car's interior over. It was just as nice and classy as the outside but also equipped with the latest and greatest tech available.

"This is a really nice car." Ruby complimented once he was in.

"Thank you, took me a long time to get my hands on it." He said, seeming quite proud of himself.

"I bet it took a long time to save up the money.." She noted, still looking it all over. She noticed it didn't have back seats.

Roman chuckled. "More like a difficult game of cat and mouse that spanned several years and most the kingdom."

Ruby gave him a disapproving look as he started the engine.

"What? It's not like it was the only one the guy had! He was loaded and I doubt he misses it." Roman said defensively.

Ruby still did not approve and looked away.

She wasn't expecting it when he grabbed her chin, a bit roughly, and turn her head back to face him again, his face inches from hers and a cold look in his eyes.

"One thing to get straight right now is that I am a criminal, I am a thief and I have killed as well. If you are going to stick around you need to accept that fact. It's who I am and I will never change." He let her go, turning his attention back to the car and pulling out of the garage, down the drive and onto the street. Ruby sat silently, frightened again.

After a few minutes Roman took her hand with his and gave it a small squeeze.

"I don't mean to scare you Red, but it's the truth." He said, his voice much softer again.

Ruby sighed but nodded, still it was obvious the reminder that she was in the presence of a wanted criminal bothered her. At the same time, she really had nothing and no one else anymore.

"I don't understand... They are the future hunters and huntresses... how can they be so cruel?" Ruby asked, referring to what had happened, and trying to change the subject.

"The world is not black and white, Ruby, more of a sea of grays. Not everyone who acts on the side of good is a good person. And the same goes for the bad guys." Roman said with a shrug.

"Still... My own sister..." Ruby sighed.

"Think of it this way, at least she is alive, healthy and has a future to look forward to." He said. Something in his voice caught her attention. She watched his face as they fell into silence, his features showed a bitter sadness. She then glanced at the clothes she was wearing and tried to remember the items in the box...

"I can see the smoke coming out of your ears Red, stop trying to solve your little mystery, you're just gonna break your brain trying." Roman said, grinning and effectively distracting Ruby.

"Hey!" she protested.

They left the rich side of town that Roman lived on and were driving through more of the older city, They came to a hospital that was easily the oldest building in the area, even having a historical marker out front.

Roman pulled into the parking lot, not a big or very full one and killed the engine.

"This place looks really old... It's still used as a hospital?" Ruby asked.

"Sorta, it was shut down a good thirty years ago but remodeled and reopened in the last ten. It's now used for doctors offices but the doc who owns the place is the one I'm taking you to see. He doesn't like being bossed around." Roman explained.

He got out and came around to her door, getting her out and carrying her in. The inside was much more updated than the outside yet still held a historical feel. Roman walked up to the desk and Ruby could see over the edge to the receptionists computers and multiple phones.

"Special guest for the Waiting Darkness." Roman said.

Ruby gave him a puzzled look then glanced back at the woman working the desk. She only nodded then opened one of her desk drawers, inside was another phone. She picked this one up.

"Doctor, you have a visitor." She said then waited for the doc to reply. With another nod she hung up the phone and turned back to Roman.

"The doctor will see you on the second floor in room nine." She informed then went back to her work.

Roman carried Ruby to the elevator then pressed the button for the second floor. They had passed some wheelchairs but Roman seemed content just to carry her.

Once on the second floor they started down the hall, passing lots of different rooms.

Room nine was at the end of the hall, Roman didn't knock, just let them in. It appeared to be a normal hospital examining room and Roman set Ruby down on the bench.

They didn't have to wait long, hearing a raspy, coughing chuckle coming from the next room before the door opened.

The man that stepped through was easily a few inches shorter than Ruby and seemed even more so with his slightly hunched back from too many years hunched over medical books. He wore a white lab coat and black pants and a printed tee-shirt that looked like a rib cage with muscle. His mostly gray hair was all askew, as if he'd never heard of a comb and he had the most odd maroon-black eyes. He had long wrinkled fingers tipped with long, formidable looking claw-like nails. His hands were draped over a cane with a silver skull grip and to top it all off, he had a rat tail swishing about under his coat tails. He was a Faunus.

"Ahh... Torchwick." The doctor said in his raspy voice.

"Doctor Arvan." Roman replied in greeting.

Ruby noticed the note of respect in Roman's tone.

"And who is this sweet little morsel?" He asked, looking at Ruby.

"Call her Red." Roman answered before she could, his voice now holding a tone of caution.

Doctor Arvan held out his hand for her to shake, she did, his handshake was loose and short.

"What brings you here miss Red?" He asked.

"Broken ankle..." She replied, a bit embarrassed.

He only nodded and knelt to look her ankle over.

"This is a nasty break, how did you do this? And I don't want to hear the 'I fell down the stairs' bit, that's what they all say." Doctor Arvan asked.

"I fell off the roof." Ruby replied truthfully.

He looked up at her in surprise. "Well that's a little more interesting. At least it's wrapped well, that may have saved your foot. Otherwise I'd have to amputate it."

"No amputations. What's it going to take?" Roman asked.

The doctor stood. "A small surgery, a cast for a bit... You want the waterproof one?"

Roman nodded. "It'd be a good idea, I think."

The doc nodded and turned back to Ruby. "You allergic to anesthetic?"

"I uh... I don't know.." Ruby admitted.

"Awake it is then." The doc said, seeming a bit cheerful.

Ruby turned a shade of pale and looked to Roman with a 'help me' expression.

"Do you want the area numbed or no?" The doc asked. "I can make it so you feel everything with or without pain."

The remaining color drained from her face.

"Make it so she feels nothing." Roman stated.

The doc gave them both a disappointed expression then shrugged. "If that's how you want it."

Roman noticed Ruby staring at the door, panic in her eyes as she tried to figure a route of escape. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and looked her in the eyes.

"Don't tell me you're afraid. It's not so big a deal, I bet it won't even take that long." Roman said soothingly.

Ruby took a deep breath, trying to steady herself. She really wanted to run away but her foot wouldn't even respond at this point.

The doc waved them into the room he'd come from and Roman picked Ruby up, heading that way.

Ruby started to panic, squirming and attempting to get out of Roman's arms.

"It's ok Red, we gotta do this.." Roman offered.

"No... nonono..." she said.

"We don't need you losing your foot." He insisted.

"I don't really need that foot..." She whispered in a panicked voice.

They walked in, Roman carrying a terrified Ruby.

This room was meant for surgery. The equipment, table, cabinets and floor were clean... The walls however, were covered in dried blood and that did little more than panic Ruby farther.

Doctor Arvan motioned for Roman to set Ruby on the table and he did so, having to hold her down as she tried to get away.

"Stop it Red, you need to hold still!" Roman said, frustrated.

The doc got what he needed laid out on a rolling stand and put gloves on.

Roman had to climb onto the table and sit on Ruby to get her to stay, which gave the old doctor a laugh.

Ruby's cheeks turned a bright shade of turnip red when she realized how Roman had started to hold her down.

The Doctor took that moment to inject her leg with several things, both to numb and to kill pain.

Ruby started squirming again but her leg quickly started to feel strange and stop responding to her commands.

Doctor Arvan set to laying out the towels down so her leg would make less of a mess, he also started talking, as if used to this kind of thing.

"I bought this hospital years ago, people like you and Mr Torchwick needing a safe doctor and me needing a place I could work without being disturbed. Torchwick and the others I take care of pay me yearly. That is enough to get by I suppose, to make things a little easier though, I started renting out the first third and fourth floors. The second is where I work and the basement is off limits." He looked up and met Ruby's gaze. "I mean that. If you wander down there, I will kill you."

Ruby swallowed the lump in her throat and nodded.

She felt it when he cut into her skin, it felt strange and she didn't like it but it didn't hurt so she gritted her teeth and held Romans hands tightly.

The surgery didn't take too terribly long but to Ruby it felt like forever. She could feel every poke, every cut and pull, it all felt very strange but she could almost tell exactly what he was doing.

Not ten minutes in, Ruby noticed when Roman leaned down to readjust the way he was holding her, leaving his face near hers.

"Will you sing?" She pleaded quietly.

The doc arched an eyebrow.

"I dunno what you are talking about, Red." Roman replied dumbly.

That had left her feeling a bit hurt and still freaked out.

She tried desperately to zone out, to fall asleep, anything to escape what was going on.

Finally Doctor Arvan stitched her up and she relaxed a little. He started setting the cast and Roman didn't have to hold her down for that. She sat up to watch the doc put the cast in place.

"This is my own design, it's lighter and far more durable than a regular cast, plus it is water proof so you can bathe, it will drain properly so you don't have to worry about water getting trapped under it either." The doc explained, seeming rather proud of himself.

Once finished he gave Ruby a pair crutches so she could get around on her own and they headed out.

It was a bit difficult to get into the car but she was able to and hold her crutches.

He started the car. "I'm sorry that upset you so much, Red. I couldn't risk taking you anywhere else."

She huffed, crossing her arms.

"And I don't sing for just anyone so I wasn't doing it back there." He stated firmly.

She refused to look at him.

He started singing as they drove and she relaxed, looking back at him and offering a smile.

They drove out of the older side of town and toward the newer section of business districts.

After the song ended they were getting closer to the part of town with the best shops, the ones she couldn't afford to shop at.

"So, I don't know how long you plan on sticking around but your dress was kinda trashed and you can't keep those clothes so how about we buy you some new ones?" Roman asked.

Ruby looked over at him. "I'm really in debt to you already..."

"I'm not holding it to you to repay me. Besides, that one doctor was the only one I could take you to and he terrorized you... Let me make it up to you, okay?" He pressed.

She sighed but nodded.

He parked the car on the curb of an expensive looking shop she'd never been in.

Roman helped her out of the car and they headed inside. The sales clerk offered to help but Roman waved the girl away. Ruby looked around, lots of clothes in nice fabrics in all the latest styles, she found combat mini skirts like she likes but then saw the price tag and nearly fainted.

"Get it. Get a couple of them." Roman said, looking at the price from over her shoulder.

"Are you sure? These are really high?" She whispered in a squeaky voice.

"I'm sure, get a few tops too." He instructed. "At least get a couple outfits. We can hit another store after this, too."

Amazed she selected a couple of the skirts, a red and a black. They moved on, looking a shirts, she was looking through a rack when Roman came over carrying a black blouse with black roses and vines embroidered all over it.

"I think this would look good on you." Roman said, holding it out for her to take.

She didn't doubt it, it was the right cut and was easily flattering.

"Are sure you're a man?" She asked.

He chuckled and let her take the shirt. "Last time I checked. You don't have to be a girl to know what looks good."

They found a few more things, including a hat Ruby just couldn't take off. She tried really hard not to look at the total when the clerk rang up the precise but she knew it was a lot, much more than she could have ever spent on just a few articles of clothing.

She was still wearing her new hat when they headed for the next shop. This time she heard someone calling her name across the street.

She didn't have time to look before Roman tugged her into the shop. She watched out the window as her sister walked by, calling for her worriedly, yet also annoyed.

"You want to go talk to her?" Roman asked, watching Ruby watch her sister. Ruby shook her head.

"No... They don't really want me there. If anything the professors noticed I was gone and sent her looking for me." Ruby said, unable to hide the sadness in her voice.

Roman grabbed her up in a hug. "Good, that means we can keep shopping."

She laughed a little and followed him farther into the shop. This one was more expensive than the last and she found more than a few things she would feel guilty asking for, yet Roman insisted she get what she wanted. She got those things and a pair of sunglasses that effectively hid her face, making it so if she passed Yang again she would be much harder to recognize.

Finished in that shop and getting into the car, Ruby saw her team was heading back up the sidewalk together this time. They walked right behind her. With the hat and sunglasses, the ripped up jeans and green tank and crutches, throwing bags into a nice car she hardly looked like herself so they passed right by, clueless.

"I can't believe she's still missing." Weiss was saying.

"You'd think she'd have returned for class this morning, at least." Yang sighed.

"You two were pretty harsh. I just hope she turns up soon, otherwise Ozpin will have our hides." Blake said.

Ruby got in the car. They were looking for her just to stay out of trouble. She was on the edge of tears again when Roman rested his hand on her arm, reminding her she was not alone and had nothing to worry about.

The next shop they drove to they saw team JNPR outside combing the streets. Roman decided to skip it till later and headed for a cafe, this place too, had students of Beacon combing the streets. It seemed the school was out in force looking for her. Roman took her back to his apartment. Ruby realized it was one of the older buildings on the rich side of town. Rent here was expensive and if he could handle that then what she had spent today was pocket change to him.

The stairs were a bit of a challenge but she made it and Roman carried in her new clothes, making room for her in the top two drawers of his dresser.

"So you think they are all out looking for you because Professor Ozpin is worried." Roman asked.

"Yeah... I'm thinking... I might write a letter to him... saying I have no intentions of returning. I think he would respect my decision and make everyone return to the school." Ruby answered.

"What if that doesn't work? You are technically a runaway in the home of a wanted criminal." Roman pointed out.

"Well... I can never go back. I don't think I could even go home... There is no where for me to go unless I go back to that..." Ruby said.

"You don't have to if you don't want to. I won't make you. I won't force you to stay either, but, you are welcome to." Roman said, looking her in the eye so she knew he was being honest.

"You mean... I could stay... Here with you?" She asked, seeming unsure.

"As long as you can accept I am who and what I am and don't go trying to change that, yes, you most certainly can." He smiled.

She shifted her weight, and flinched at the pain of doing that, shifting her weight back again. She thought about it, unsure. She realized she really had few options so she sighed. "Okay... I'll stay, for now. Just 'till I figure out what to do."

He nodded. "Fair enough. Get that letter ready, I have errands to run tomorrow and with the whole school out looking for you it would not be wise for you to accompany me."

She nodded, stuffing the last of her new clothes into the dresser and hobbling after him on one crutch to his desk. He got out a stack of papers and a box of envelopes and a pen then offered her the chair. She sat and he moved his laptop to the couch so she could write in peace.

She crumpled and tossed at least three letters before she wrote one she was satisfied with. She let Roman read it over and he nodded in approval.

"If this doesn't get him off your trail nothing will... Except one thing... Something we might ought to prepare for and I can help you with that, too..." Roman said.

Ruby tilted her head, curious.

"We'll worry about it tomorrow." He said, smiling.

She put the letter in an envelope and sealed it, Roman took it and put it in his coat pocket so it would not be forgotten.

With that done he decided to throw something easy together for dinner. Ruby offered to help, hobbling after into the kitchen. It was nicer than she'd originally realized. With rare looking stone counter tops that were a sea of grays full of mica and splashes of a gold colored stone here and there.

The cabinets where a faux weathered gray and the flooring was slate. All metal surfaces were brushed nickel and the fridge matched the cabinets, effectively blending in.

Ruby sat on one of the bar stools at the center island, watching Roman as he dug things out of the fridge. He got out everything they needed for the best sandwiches anyone could ask for.

They hung out in the kitchen to eat, Ruby still admiring it and realizing it was sort of hers too, now.

"You don't cheap out on anything do you?" Ruby asked at length.

"Why would I? It's dangerous being one of the top criminals in the kingdom." Roman replied.

"So is being a huntress, what is your point?" Ruby asked.

"I have the means to live a good life while I am still alive. I could die tomorrow for all I know, though I doubt it. So what is the point in pinching pennies that aren't mine to begin with to save up for a life I don't and will likely never have?" He asked.

Ruby nodded, understanding now. "I see."

Sandwiches finished and dishes washed, they made their way to bed, again, settling in together. It felt less strange this time.

The sounds of the building were different when it wasn't storming outside and the power was on.

She listened to the sound of the refrigerator kicking on and off, the random clicks of other things that she couldn't identify. The sound of Roman dozing off and mumbling in his sleep. Soon this all settled into a pattern that lulled her to sleep.


	7. Cutting Ties

Roman had already left by the time she woke, it was late but there was a bowl of oatmeal and some toast by the bed. It was better tasting than she had expected and wolfed it down.

As she was getting dressed she noticed the clothes she'd warn the day before and remembered Roman saying she couldn't keep them. She also remembered where he had gotten them from.

Sitting in the floor she pulled the box out. She folded the clothes and opened the box. She hadn't really meant to look inside but she did.

Within the battered old box was an odd mix of items. At the bottom was a white scarf with a stain splattered on it. On top of that was a toy dinosaur about the same size as her hand. Four bottle caps and a marble. Then she noticed a locket on a golden chain, the only thing that seemed to have any real value. She carefully picked it up and opened it. Inside on the left was a picture of a man standing, resting his hand on the woman sitting beside him. The man looked a lot like Roman with a mustache, but his eyes where the wrong shape and color. That however she noticed was right on the woman, these were his parents. Her gaze lingered on that picture a long time as Ruby wondered what must have happened to them. Finally she managed to turn to the right side of the locket, there again where two figures, this time children. The elder was a girl of about nine or ten holding a boy of about five or six. The boy looked exactly the way she imagined Roman would as a child. She figured that must be him and an older sister.

The sister was a beautiful girl, she had long, flowing orange red hair like her mother and brother, her eyes a very crystal blue.

Ruby didn't hear the front door open or the soft footsteps heading for the bedroom.

Roman found her there, looking at the locket.

"What are you doing?!" He demanded.

"She's really pretty." Ruby said, indicating his sister.

"She's dead." Roman said flatly, trying to hide the pain that went with the comment.

Carefully Ruby replaced everything into the box, including the clothes. She got up and hugged Roman, unable to imagine the pain of losing a sibling.

He didn't hug back but rather stared off into nowhere, seeing the past, suddenly remembering something that his young mind had repressed. He tensed and Ruby looked up at him.

"Roman?" She asked cautiously.

"I remember now... How she died... I was there." He said, almost sounding as if he were in a trance.

Ruby hugged him tighter.

"She was a little older than you, a year or two. She wanted to be a huntress but we were orphans on the streets... There was a boy, from Beacon, soon to graduate I think... He promised if she helped him with something he would get her in. But... he set her up. Then he killed her... He used a scythe... and had... Silver eyes."

Ruby froze.

"His name was Qrow." Roman finished.

Ruby hugged him tighter still as he came out of it. "I'm sorry, I'm so, so, so sorry!"

"Why?" He asked, almost dazed but resting his hands on her shoulders.

"Because." She sobbed. "Qrow is my uncle. I'm sorry."

Roman was quiet for a moment before speaking in a cold tone. "So if I kill you I could have revenge for my sister?"

Ruby froze, an eye for an eye she realized. He was right.

"Why would I do that?" He asked then, his tone returning to normal. "That would mean two of the women I cared about would be dead because of him, I'm not that stupid."

Ruby looked up at him. Roman looked tired, emotionally so. Still he offered her a small smile.

"The past is the past Red, I'm not holding what your uncle did against you." He stated.

She nodded slightly, surprised he could let go so easily.

He hugged her tighter a moment then let go. "Anyway... There were things we needed to discuss. Like how you're going to die."

Ruby froze, looking at him with wide eyes. Had he just snapped?

Roman chuckled. "In the eyes of the government and schools, anyway."

She let out a breath. "Oh.."

"It is not an easy task to fake your death. To do it right takes time." He went on. "And considering you can't leave a body behind makes it difficult, but not impossible."

"Fake my death?" She asked, again, unsure.

"You want to start over? A clean slate? This is the best way to do it." He explained. "You can fake your death and disappear, start over somewhere else. Or go back and hope you can fix the mess that put you here to begin with."

That stung, her memories quick to remind her she had no reason to return to Beacon. Slowly she nodded, agreeing.

"Good, I've picked up everything we need. You aren't afraid of needles, are you, Red?" He asked.

"As long as it doesn't mean going back to that doctor I think I'll be alright." She said.

He nodded. "Here is how it works, we draw a bit of your blood daily and store it away, once we have enough we will work up a murder scene. Leaving the blood behind which should be enough for any sane medical examiner to pronounce you dead. I've got a plan in mind that will really sell it. Also, for the mean time I've picked up hair dye and colored contacts so you can hide better."

"And you're sure the blood alone will work?" She asked.

"Trust me, by the time I'm done we almost won't need it." He smiled.

She nodded, feeling he knew what he was doing.

They set about getting things going, him drawing her blood and sealing it in a jar then setting it in a small fridge in the laundry room. Next they started on her hair.

"Average brown or bright red?" Roman asked, referring to hair dye.

"Um... Brown? Just for now?" Ruby said, trying not to be indecisive. She liked her hair the way it was.

Roman nodded. "That one would probably make you blend into a crowd better."

He then opened the box and read the instructions. Which seemed to only confuse him, until finally, he tossed them aside with a shrug. "I've got the gist."

They had to lighten her hair first, which, in itself was an interesting task, Roman got more of the smelly stuff on his hands then in her hair, making him glad for the included gloves. Her hair was only lightened in blotches and streaks, so, when they died it, it came out dark in some places and light in others making it look oddly natural.

Next came picking contacts. He had gotten every color available but she stuck with the undercover idea and went with brown. When she looked in the mirror she almost didn't recognize herself.

"That should do it." She said.

Roman nodded. "You might try picking up an accent or adapt your voice to other tones."

She nodded. "I'll work on that."

* * *

><p>Later that evening Roman went out again to get food. Since Ruby had at least decided to prepare for faking her death he thought it wise to start fixing healthier food. He'd done this before and it worked better when one's body was in prime condition.<p>

He'd had to park farther away from the store then he would have liked but shrugged it off and walked down the sidewalk, minding his own business. He noticed some work on an underground pipe, leaving a hole in the sidewalk, it was taped off. He could also hear some noisy jerks down the block.

"I can't believe this, all over that little wench Ruby and we get stuck doing this." Cardin was complaining.

"Yeah, I mean, she's like the headmaster's pet!" One of his teammates said.

Roman didn't pay much attention to the rest of the conversation, instead, undoing the caution tape and in the dark, easily making it look like the hole wasn't there.

When Cardin and team rounded the corner Roman was waiting on them, though they didn't seem to notice him at first.

"Wow." Roman stated drily. "This is what Beacon has to offer these days? You are too dumb to even notice an enemy standing in front of your face."

The four looked up at him in stupid confusion.

"And who are you?" Cardin demanded.

Roman motioned in a self presenting way and waited for them to figure it out.

"Hey! That's that wanted dust thief I saw on the news!" One of the other idiots said.

"Oh really?" Cardin said. "I bet we'd get a reward for turning him in."

"Oh no! I'm going to be done in by a team of morons!" Roman said in faux distress.

"Grr.. Get him!" Cardin cried, he and his team charging Roman only to fall thirteen feet into waist deep mud reeking of sewage that refused to let them escape.

Roman looked over the edge and laughed at the tangle of fools. Feeling satisfied he went on about his business. He was doubly satisfied on the return trip to his car, the fools still trapped and whining about smelling bad and being cold and hungry and stuck. Peeking over the edge he saw they had made many attempts to escape only to have them fail and leave them partly buried.

Grinning down at them he tossed a single apple down in the hole. They all lunged for it but all missed it so the food fell into the sewage leaving the four boys on the edge of tears.

Roman laughed as he walked away. "I love being evil."

* * *

><p>Returning to the apartment, Roman found Ruby laying in the middle of the floor. Motionless. For a second he froze, his blood running cold in sudden fear something had happened to her while he was gone.<p>

Cautiously he set the grocery's down and scanned the room, everything seemed in order so he approached slowly, almost afraid of what he might find. Then he noticed the rhythmic breathing and he relaxed, she was just laying in the floor, face down.

"Red? You alright?" He asked carefully.

"Why am I even here? Why is anyone anywhere? What even is?" She asked in a flat, depressed tone.

He just stared at her a moment.

She remained silent for that moment.

"Red... What are you going on about?" He asked.

"I don't understand the point of existence." She explained.

He paced around her a minute, trying to figure out what to even say to that. Finally he just sat on her. She huffed as the air was somewhat squished out of her.

"I dunno Red, I don't know why we exist or what the point of it all is. So, I say screw the point and forget big questions with no answers and lets go fix dinner." Roman said then stood.

Ruby sighed, rolling over so he could help her up. "Okay..."

As soon as she was on her feet though she sighed. "Why though? We are just going to die one day." And she sank back to the floor.

Roman stared at her then said. "Wow... you're about as cheerful as a basket of dead kittens."

"But why are the kittens dead?" Ruby asked. "I mean, what is the point of living if we are just all gonna die?"

Roman stared at her, silent.

"Why do we exist just to stop doing so?" She continued, staring off into space.

"What happened to you while I was gone?" Roman asked, a little unnerved.

"I don't know, why does anything happen?" She asked.

"Because it can?" He offered.

"But whyyyyy?" She whined.

He walked away, retrieved the groceries and took them to the kitchen. He returned to find her in the exact same place

"Come on Red, snap out of it." Roman said, shaking her slightly.

"To what end? There is no point to anything, no reason to exist." She asked.

"So you can help me fix dinner because I'm hungry?" He asked.

"What's the point? We are just going to die."

"Um, to enjoy ourselves? We are going to die later rather than sooner." he offered, nudging her with his foot.

"But we will, everyone will." She stated, not moving.

Roman sighed and went back into the kitchen. Ruby remained in her spot on the floor, pondering the meaning of things as Roman banged things around in the kitchen.

He returned a few minutes later with a large stew pot in his hands. She didn't question him or even look up.

"Red, it doesn't matter why we are here, just that we are here." He said, trying one last time. "Yes, we will die, but right now we are alive." He sighed. "But if you can't snap out of it I'm gonna have to dump this pot of boiling water on you."

She shrugged. "Why does water boil? It will just evaporate."

"You leave me no choice, Red." Roman sighed, overturning the pot.

Ruby was suddenly dosed in shockingly cold water and chunks of ice. She couldn't hold back the loud shriek of surprise and she attempted to get to her feet but her bad ankle would have none of it, planting her right back on her butt.

Roman was laughing.

Ruby pitched chunks of ice at him with a stream of colorful yet tasteful insults.

Once the onslaught of insults ended Ruby just sat there in the floor and shivered. Roman looked her in the eyes a felt a bit bad, she was cold and sad and troubled. The bright cheer in her eyes clouded and distant. Roman felt a bit bad so he joined her in the puddle and hugged her. He didn't say anything, just sat there and held her. Ruby leaned into him, not arguing. After a while Roman realized she had dozed off, he attempted to wake her but she was a heavy sleeper. He left her on the couch and went to start cooking, once the food was done he brought her some and tried again to wake her, succeeding this time.

"This might seem like a strange dish but it's good for you, and doesn't taste half bad." He offered.

Drowsily she started eating, not even noticing the taste then wobbling off to change clothes and fall into bed.

Roman mopped the floor and washed dishes before dozing off on the couch.

* * *

><p>The next morning saw Ruby in a much better mood, she bounced about the apartment as the sore and grumpy Roman rose from the couch like a zombie.<p>

"We should go out for breakfast!" Ruby smiled.

"Ugh." Was Roman's reply.

"Come on, it'll be fun!" She insisted.

"Eh.." Was all Roman said as he walked off to get dressed.

Not long after that they were seated at a nice cafe, food ordered and enjoying the early morning. Roman's mood improved with a cup of coffee and a cigar.

It was then Ruby looked up and saw her team walking down the sidewalk next to the cafe's fence.

Yang glanced their way but her gaze didn't linger. Weiss seemed more interested in the waiter one table over. Blake, however, was staring Ruby down as they passed. She had the look of someone trying to figure out why a stranger seemed familiar on her face. They passed without question though, leaving Ruby to feel even farther apart from them.

Roman lowered the newspaper and studied the face of his suddenly silent friend.

"They didn't recognize me..." She said quietly.

"That's good." Roman tried to offer.

He then pressed the newspaper into her hand, the picture on the front page showing Cardin and his gang stuck in a hole.

"Beacon students defeated by construction ditch." Read the headline.

Ruby suddenly bubbled over with laughter.

* * *

><p><strong>Meanwhile<strong>

* * *

><p>Professor Ozpin pushed the stack of mail, including Ruby's letter which he had not yet opened, to the side as Cardin and his team entered his office. The boys had had a chance to clean up since being rescued that morning.<p>

"Beacon students defeated by construction ditch." Professor Ozpin read from the paper. He set the paper back down and looked at the boys, none of whom would meet his gaze.

"You realize you are making everyone here seem like a joke, don't you?" He asked.

Silence.

"How did you miss a hole in the ground that big? All of you?" He asked but still no answer. "I guess common sense is just not your strong point."

Cardin was the first to look up, shooting the Professor a glare, which Ozpin matched with a flat stare that left Cardin looking back to the floor.

"I'm beginning to wonder if any of you four will make good huntsmen." Ozpin said.

"It was dark, anyone could have missed it!" Cardin protested.

"Perhaps, but good huntsmen don't go around destroying the reputation of other students." Ozpin pointed out.

"I had nothing to do with that! You don't have any proof!" Cardin snapped.

"If I didn't have proof, how would I know that the reason you spread the rumor was because Ruby turned you down for a date?" Ozpin asked.

"I don't know what you are talking about." Cardin insisted.

Professor Ozpin picked up and folded the newspaper, setting it over with the mail and picked up the small stack of papers from his desk.

"Funny, because the game chat logs say otherwise." Ozpin said, holding them out for the boys to see, and sure enough, there was their conversation on how to take out revenge on Ruby Rose.

All four boys shrank back and Ozpin set the papers down on the growing pile.

"Now, I'm taking you off the search for Ruby as it is more likely you would scare her off then bring her back safely, not to mention you have no skill for field work. As punishment for the embarrassment you have caused the school, you are to clean all bathrooms after class for the rest of the school year, are we clear?" Ozpin asked.

All four groaned in protest.

"I'm not yet punishing you for your acts against Miss Rose." He pointed out. "I suggest you get to work now before I change my mind and add that as well."

Taking that as a cue they could leave they practically ran over each other to get out.

Ozpin sighed, stood, got more coffee and headed back into town to oversee the ongoing search.

Once back in town he headed for the place he was to meet up with Glynda. So many things on his mind and watching his coffee more than where he was going, he bumped into someone going the opposite way. He looked up at the young brunette, something about her reminded him of Ruby, she apologized quickly in a voice much deeper and sharper than Ruby's then hurried on her way.

Ozpin felt like he'd seen a ghost, shaking his head and wondering if he'd start seeing Ruby everywhere, he hurried on his way. He thought about that split moment all the walk there though. The girl's face shape and height was the same as Ruby's, eye, nose and mouth all in the right place but there was a different air about the girl and her eyes where the wrong color, voice and accent all wrong too. It bothered him but he knew it wasn't her, maybe some distant relative or something, but not her.

Once they had put some distance between themselves and Ozpin they rounded a corner and ran for Roman's car. Which made Ruby's ankle burn in pain.

"That was close." Roman breathed.

"Yeah... I thought he would recognize me for sure.." Ruby sighed.

Roman sighed, starting the car. "I guess they are still looking for you."

"I really thought the letter would stop the search." She said.

"Maybe he just hasn't read it yet or something. Maybe the mail is running late, anything could happen." Roman pointed out.

"Maybe." Ruby quietly agreed.

They came back around the corner, in the safety of the dark tinted car they could pass right by Ozpin without him seeing them. Ruby watched the professor as they passed, he looked depressed, staring into his coffee as he wandered down the sidewalk.

It made Ruby feel bad but was not enough to convince her to go back.

"Just read the letter." She mumbled quietly at the professor though couldn't he hear her.

* * *

><p>Later that night Roman was at the stove peeling strange fruit and dropping them into a pot of boiling water. Ruby sat on the counter of the center island with her legs crossed as she polished silverware.<p>

"You know, it would look really bad if anyone ever found out I was staying here with you." Ruby said suddenly.

"Obviously... I'm a criminal after all." Roman said, continuing to peel fruit.

"No, not that. I mean, you're an adult... And I'm only fifteen." Ruby explained.

That statement shocked Roman, he slipped with the peeler and cut his finger.

"Wait, what?" He asked, turning to face her. "You mean you're not seventeen?"

Ruby nodded.

"How did you get into Beacon that young?" He asked, still shocked.

"You, actually. After our little encounter outside that dust shop Ozpin offered me a chance to go to Beacon so I jumped on it." Ruby explained.

As she spoke Roman threw away the bloodied fruit and went to clean his hands.

"I see..." Roman said, bandaging his finger and washing the peeler.

Ruby sighed, falling silent, then she tilted her head and looked up at Roman who was returning to what he had been doing before.

"How old are _you?_" Ruby asked.

"Nineteen." Roman answered.

"Really? You don't look it... and you have all that experience at being a con man and you're so _tall.._." Ruby said, confused that he could be that young.

"Well, you saw the picture of my parents?" He asked.

Ruby nodded. "The one in the locket, with your mom sitting next to your dad."

"She was standing." Roman stated.

Ruby realized his father had to have been a very tall man, six feet at the very least. "Oh."

"He died when I was little, not long after that my sister started stealing food and picking pockets. I learned those things very young." Roman explained. He sighed heavily, not having thought about these things in a long time. He finished peeling the last fruit and plopped it into the water. That task done, he turned and faced Ruby. "It was only a couple of years later my mother took her own life. That left me and my sister on the streets."

"Wasn't there anyone to take you in?" Ruby asked.

Roman's expression soured. "Yeah, if you can call it that. Our uncle was nothing like my father, I don't care that they were twins, they were nothing alike. My uncle was a hunter and a very violent drunk. One night he beat his wife so badly she ended up comatose. The day after, before he could be arrested he decided that it was my fault it had happened and started to hit me with a tire iron."

Roman paused, running his fingers through his hair. Once he found the spot he was looking for he took Ruby's hand and let her feel the long crescent scar.

"I'm sorry..." Ruby said, frowning.

Roman stepped back to lean on the counter.

"Don't be. My sister heard me cry out and came running, when she saw what he was doing she shot and killed him with his own weapon." Roman explained.

"Oh." Ruby said, listening carefully.

"We ran after that, afraid of what would happen if the police came after us. It is a rough world out there Ruby, trust me. We survived by stealing and conning people. I found out I was really good at it. Especially plotting bigger robberies, even though I was just a kid." Roman explained.

"I see... but where did you learn to fight then?" Ruby asked.

"I was playing a game of cards with some of the big shots from the bad side of town. They thought I was a joke, still, I bet them that I could beat them and if I did the best fighter among them would train me. If I lost I had to work for one of them without pay for the next six years. I was only thirteen and I beat them in three turns without cheating." He explained, seeming quite proud of himself.

Ruby nodding, she believed him... Still. "You just don't look nineteen..."

Roman scooped up the cigar box and waved it at her. "Never start smoking."

Ruby chuckled and nodded. "Don't worry about that."

Roman set the box down on the counter as he spoke. "Good. I started at ten, might have something to do with me looking older than I am."

"So we are actually only four years apart, that's not so bad." Ruby said, smiling.

* * *

><p><strong> AN: Actual conversation between Author and Editor2: **

**_(reading back over the chapter for posting)_ **

**Author: wow, chapter seven is a bit of an info dump but it is hilairious too  
>that is where ruby finds the locket, roman explains about his sister<br>and Roman vs. Team CRDL  
>his only weapon a construction ditch<br>and then ruby's crisis  
>like Danisnotonfire<strong>

**Editor2: hahahahah**  
><strong>and you're not even a fan of dan <strong>

**Author: plus the icebucket challange **

**Editor2: *chokes on tea***  
><strong>this all needs to go in the author's note <strong>

**Author: I think it will **

**Editor2: just have it in conversation format with "Author: and Editor2:"**  
><strong>and just put in literally exactly what you said<strong>  
><strong>thats it thats the an **

_**(so that's exactly what we did)**_


	8. Chaos

Things fell into a routine, drawing and storing her blood, eating oddly healthy things and going out and braving the town even with everyone out looking for her. On her sixth day staying with Roman, the search for her was finally called off and classes at Beacon resumed, which was a relief to Ruby.

The morning of the sixth day Ruby had been missing Ozpin was checking things at his office when he remembered the stack of mail he'd forgotten days before. He went through it and found a letter with no return address, hoping it might hold some clue he opened it up and read it.

_Professor Ozpin_

_First off, I just want to let you know I was honored to be accepted at your school._

_I really, really did love it there. Unfortunately some things have happened that_

_force me to leave. Actually, by the time you are reading this I will have already_

_already left Vale and possibly the kingdom. I don't want you to worry, I have a_

_plan and I'll be alright. Maybe, after a couple of years things will calm down and_

_I can come back. Hopefully, if that day ever comes you will accept me back, I_

_wouldn't blame you if you didn't though. Anyway, thank you, for everything._

_Please, don't try to find me or send anyone after me. I'll be fine. Don't worry._

_~Ruby Rose_

Ozpin set the letter down and sank into his chair, sighing heavily and letting it sink in.

Ruby had left days ago.

He called Glynda to his office and had her read the letter. They agreed to honor Ruby's wishes, though it didn't sit right with either of them.

The search was called off and classes were set to resume the next day.

Yang was the first to show up at Ozpin's office.

"Why did you call off the search?" Yang asked, a mix of hope and fear.

Without a word the Professor handed her the letter.

She sank to the floor as she read it, crying once she finished it. After a few minutes she recomposed herself. "I have to find her."

"No." Ozpin said firmly.

"Why not?" Yang demanded, eyes going red.

"I forbid it. She left of her own will, she will return when she is ready." He explained.

"You can't do this!" Yang snapped.

"You won't find her even if you tried. She doesn't want to be found. Leave her be." He said firmly.

Yang looked defeated, she only wanted to go and hug her sister, to apologize for what had happened.

"You lost her trust, now you need to trust her. I don't like this anymore then you do, but remember. You are the one who doubted her." Ozpin said.

Yang left, tears streaming and voice refusing to work correctly.

Ozpin sighed, hating this.

* * *

><p>As had become part of the routine for the past couple of days, Roman left to deal with 'business' that afternoon.<p>

This time though, instead of sticking around the apartment bored out of her mind, she carefully followed him. It wasn't easy, staying out of sight while not putting too much weight on her healing ankle. Still, she managed and followed him to a warehouse. She waited on a roof a couple of buildings away, once he was inside she went to the roof of the building he was in, looking in through the skylight.

Roman met with a man in a suit with graying hair.

Carefully Ruby opened one of the little panes in the window so she could listen. They were discussing Dust trafficking. Most of it she tried not to take seriously, even though she knew it was, she didn't want to think about it too much.

There was something about the guy though, something she really didn't like, so she stuck around and paid attention.

It was starting to get dark out when the conversation took a dangerous turn.

"You know Roman, I really don't like these prices. I think you could certainly do better for me." The man said, irritation edging his tone.

"If it was up to me, it would be." Roman said, staying casual but firm and fearless.

"No, I think not. It's been nice working with you Roman, but take this message back to your employer." The man said, taking something from his inside coat pocket.

"What's that?" Roman asked, trying to think of a way to get the dust anyway.

The older man moved faster than expected, pointing a weapon and shooting Roman before he had a chance to do anything.

Roman fell and Ruby watched in sudden horror as he lay motionless, his white coat quickly turning red.

"Your corpse should get the message across. Now, I could just leave you here to bleed out." The man said, waving his gun about carelessly. "Or I could finish you off right now." The man stepped over Roman, aiming for his head.

Roman could do little more then spit blood and watch helplessly.

The man grinned, about to squeeze the trigger when suddenly, Crescent Rose's blade came slicing through his chest, Roman saw an angry Ruby standing behind the man, she narrowed her eyes.

"I've avoided your vitals, toss the gun away and I'll let you live." Ruby said, slowly twisting the scythe to exaggerate her point.

The man only grunted defiantly and tried to re-aim his gun.

Ruby was the faster, though, a slight twist of her hips and push from her arms sent Crescent Rose tearing the rest of the way through the man, cutting him in two. The shooter fell to the ground in two pieces and Ruby looked at him with a distant, cold expression. As if she felt nothing for the dead man. Without looking she changed Crescent Rose back to it's more compact form and turn her attention back to Roman, only then seeming to snap out of it and panic.

"Oh no... Roman." She squeaked. "Please don't die!"

He tried to speak but only coughed, blood spilling from his lips, he was growing weak.

Quickly and carefully Ruby scooped him up, flinching in pain at the added weight on her ankle. She clenched her teeth and pushed the pain aside, and used her semblance to take off at full speed, hoping Roman would survive. She headed for the hospital he had taken her to.

They hadn't been terribly far away but Roman was fading fast.

"Please Roman! Hold on! Stay with me!" Ruby pleaded as they neared the hospital doors.

She burst through the doors and barely skidded to a stop in front of the woman at the desk.

"We need to see Doctor Arvan right away!" Ruby said in a panic.

"There are no Doctors here by that name." The woman replied tonelessly.

"What?! No, he's the doctor I saw just the other day! On the second floor. PleasethisisanEMERGENCY!" Ruby yelled, panicking now.

Roman coughed, his breathing was heavily labored now, he was struggling to hang on.

"There is no one on the second floor." The woman said in the same toneless manor.

"PLEASE!" Ruby screamed, in tears now. "He's dying can't you see?"

"Speci.." Roman coughed.

Both women turned their attention to him.

"Guests..." He coughed again, blood lining every breath and dripping with each strained word. "Wait...ing...dar..." He heaved a breath, growing to weak.

It hit Ruby then, the code phrase he'd used last time. She turned back to the woman behind the counter.

"Special guests for the Waiting Darkness!" She said, half hysterical.

The woman nodded, opening the drawer with the hidden phone.

Ruby looked to Roman. "I'm sorry."

He offered her a weak smile, his mouth bloody and his eyes going distant. Glassy.

"Please Roman, hang on." She pleaded.

"The Doctor will see you on the second floor in room eight." The woman informed.

Ruby skipped the elevator and used her semblance to fly up the stairs instead, rushing to the room.

It was the same surgical room as before and the doctor was already there, ready and waiting for them.

He pointed to the table with a gloved hand and Ruby quickly obliged.

Doctor Arvan was dressed in normal surgical attire, except for the strange, long nosed gas mask looking thing he was wearing.

The doctor set to work with all speed, slicing Roman's shirt open and pushing it out of the way.

"This is bad... Missed his heart but struck his lung." The doctor said as he worked.

"You should see the other guy." Ruby said, remembering her first ever human kill. That only now sinking in.

Suddenly her ankle screamed in agony and refused to hold her weight, leaving her sitting in the floor where she couldn't see.

She was slightly thankful for that. Still, she took Roman's weak and pale hand and held it tightly even though he didn't respond. Tears started to fall as she realized what that could mean.

"Please Roman... Don't die... You're all I have." Ruby sobbed.

"I won't let that happen." Arvan said, determined.

Time ticked by in what felt like forever, more than a few times Arvan filling the room with curses and yelling at Roman, which scared Ruby but she couldn't get up.

Finally Ruby heard the doc place down his tools and pull off his gloves.

"I'm sorry, Little Red. I did all I could." doctor Arvan said.

Ruby's blood ran cold and she thought she might throw up or pass out. This had to be a bad dream.

She grabbed the edge of the heavy table and forced her way back to her feet. She was startled by the length of the stitched incision on his chest, which was motionless. Roman was cold, pale and still. Dead.

Ruby screamed, falling over him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and burying her face in his hair. "NO! Roman no... Please! You can't really be gone... _ROMANNN!_"

The doctor leaned on one of the cabinets, watching silently, his saddened expression hidden by the mask. "I'm sorry... His lung was nearly destroyed... I did all I could."

That did nothing to comfort her.

"No! NO! Roman please! Don't leave me!" She cried. "I need you!"

Scant seconds after saying that confession, Roman took a breath.

Ruby and Doctor Arvan both froze.

Roman let the breath go and gasped again.

Ruby leaned away, looking him in the face.

Roman let that breath go and drew in another, this time opening his eyes a bit.

"Roman.." Ruby said, smiling as tears flowed.

"Wouldn't... ever.. leave you... Red." He said weakly then fell back into unconsciousness. He continued breathing, though.

Ruby was lost between laughs and sobs, tears falling like rain as she held Roman, carefully but gratefully. He was alive.

Doctor Arvan gave Ruby a minute to recover before placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Come now, help me get him to a bed." He said, still wearing that strange mask.

"Ok..." Ruby said weakly.

Arvan brought in a rolling bed and he showed Ruby how to use a sheet to move Roman without disturbing him. Once he was transferred they took him to room three which was a small ward. All the other beds in the room where empty and Doc Arvan took them to the spot nearest the window. He then pulled over a chair and insisted Ruby get off her injured leg. She didn't argue, the chair was close enough she could hold Roman's hand so she sat, her ankle hurt too badly to stand anyway.

She looked up at the doctor. "Thank you."

"Don't thank me yet, not until he is up on his feet again." The doctor said.

She nodded, then gave him a quizzical look. "Um... Doctor Arvan... What is up with that mask anyway?"

"Oh this? It's a plague mask I made... I was a bit impatient though and put it on before the glue was completely dry... So it's stuck." He explained, a bit embarrassed.

"Oh..." Ruby said trying not to be rude. Then she remembered something.

"Um, Doctor Arvan... I know you have done a lot already but... Roman's car..." Ruby said, not sure if she could ask anymore of the man.

"Yes, small one?" He asked, edging her to continue.

"It's still at the warehouse where he was shot." She explained.

The doctor nodded. "I'll send someone to pick it up."

"Thank you." Ruby smiled and gave him the address she had followed Roman to.

The doctor, taking Roman's keys, left the room then to send someone after the car.

Ruby glanced out the window and realized it was nearing dawn. She wiggled her chair closer to Roman's bed and, holding his hand, fell asleep.

* * *

><p><strong>Meanwhile<strong>

* * *

><p>Mercury paced in circles around Emerald. "Shouldn't Roman have been here hours ago?"<p>

Cinder, sitting back on a crate and rolling a dust crystal around in her hand nodded. "Yes he should have. I'm sure he's managed to screw something up if he's this late."

"Maybe we should go check, we know where the warehouse is right?" Emerald asked.

"Yes, lets go." Cinder said, getting up and leading the two out to the location of the trade off.

When they got there they saw a stranger get into Roman's car and drive off. Rather than follow him they headed into the building.

They were not expecting the gruesome scene that awaited them inside.

David Winchester lay dead in a pool of blood in two pieces.

Emerald and Mercury both paled at the sight but other then that were unaffected.

"What the hell happened?" Mercury asked.

"That's what I'd like to know..." Cinder said, circling the corpse and examining the wound without touching anything.

"Look, someone was hurt over here, too." Emerald pointed out.

There was a separate blood splatter on the ground with another, smaller pool. Next to that was Roman's lighter. Emerald picked it up.

"It was Roman..." She stated.

Cinder nodded. "Well, he is not here now and someone took his car so get that but don't touch anything else. I'll have the Dust moved."

The other two nodded and set to work.

* * *

><p>It was late in the day when Doctor Arvan woke Ruby. Roman was still unconscious.<p>

"Were you drawing blood and storing it?" The doc asked her.

Groggily Ruby nodded. "How did you know?"

"Where do you think Roman got the needles from?" He grinned. It was then Ruby noticed he'd gotten the mask off.

"Oh..." She said, still sleepy.

"Well at any rate I think we should continue that, Roman is down for now and can't help you so I will do what I can." Arvan offered.

"Probably wise." Ruby agreed. "Thank you."

"Now, I have another question for you." The doctor said.

"Oh?" Ruby asked.

Doctor Arvan handed her the day's newspaper.

The headline read: Major gunpowder company spokesman chopped in two.

Below was a picture of the warehouse where Roman had been shot and she noticed it was now empty.

"Is that your handy work?" The doctor asked.

Ruby nodded, slowly putting the paper down. "He shot Roman and was gonna shoot again, to kill him... I had no choice."

The doctor nodded. "His name was David Winchester, he was one of my patients a long time ago."

"I'm sorry..." Ruby apologized, wondering if he was related to Cardin.

"Don't apologize, I liked Roman more anyway. Besides, you did the world a favor." The doctor said.

Ruby nodded but she wasn't so sure. She felt more like a murderer.

* * *

><p><strong>Meanwhile<strong>

* * *

><p>Professor Ozpin was doing paper work at his desk when Glynda walked in, a grim expression on her face.<p>

"What's wrong?" He asked, already fearing the worst.

"We have a problem." She answered, dropping a newspaper and police report on his desk.

He picked up the newspaper first, reading the grim headline and skimming the article. He set the paper down, already having an idea what he would find in the police report.

Pictures of the body and the coroner's report were included.

"David Winchester, Cardin Winchester's uncle." Ozpin noted Grimly. "Has he been informed?"

"The police are doing that now. I asked them not to give him any details." Glynda confirmed.

Reading farther down Ozpin grew more worried. "He was killed by a scythe..."

Glynda nodded. "You don't think... It was Ruby do you?"

Ozpin shook his head but it was clear on his face he wasn't sure. "It's not like her, She's not even in town anymore. Why would she?"

"To get back at Cardin?" Glynda suggested though she didn't seem to think that the truth.

Ozpin rose from his chair. "I doubt it. Still. Qrow is in another kingdom and I don't know any other scythe wielders."

"What do we tell the police?" Glynda asked.

"That we have a case of a stolen weapon." Ozpin decided.

"You think someone could steal Crescent Rose from Ruby?" Glynda asked, doubtful and hopeful at the same time.

"No... But I can hold that hope can't I? At least until we have more proof?" He asked.

Glynda nodded and heaved a heavy hearted sigh.

"Maybe she sold it to pay for the trip out of Veil... But that makes even less sense." Ozpin frowned.

* * *

><p><strong>Editor2's note:<strong>

**EDITOR1 YOU'RE FIRED**

**MY JOB IS FORMATTING NOT GRAMMAR EDITING**

***continues raging in the distance over the number of grammatical errors that it ISN'T MY JOB TO FIX***


	9. Last Bravo

Time passed quietly at the hospital. Roman did not wake again but seemed to be healing fine.

Doctor Arvan handled drawing blood from Ruby to store, he also decided she was strong enough to draw more at once, reducing the time it would take to save enough.

As far as hospital food went it was actually very good and healthier than anything she'd ever had. Doctor Arvan informed her that one of his renters was a nutritionist that was also a brilliant cook.

She also kept up on the local news as well and it surprised her when she read that Beacon asked to keep look out for a stolen scythe. The article described Crescent Rose and mentioned that it had been stolen from one of the student's and that it might be the murder weapon from the recent killing.

"Stolen?.. They think it was stolen... Or they are covering for me." Ruby sighed.

After that there was little mention in the papers, Doctor Arvan informed her that the trail had quickly gone cold and she was safe.

After the first day Doctor Arvan had dusted off the monitoring machines and hooked them up to Roman.

"He's in a coma, I'm afraid." He informed Ruby and that worried her, but she held onto the hope that he would wake up again.

"Heart and brain activity is normal... I think he will recover, even though he should be a dead man." Doctor Arvan said, turning to look at Ruby. "He came back for you, that took more willpower than I can imagine... He must love you."

"I don't know about that." Ruby said, looking away. "He's the surviving type."

Arvan only chuckled at that.

The days passed by and turned to weeks. It was the most time she had spent off her ankle and it gave it a chance to heal properly. The world outside seemed to quiet down, though Ruby rarely left the ward. Only stepping out to use the restrooms or to shower. She took her meals at Roman's side, and slept in the nearest bed. The most she saw of the world was through the window, which faced a park so that was very little.

In what felt like a blink of the eye to Ruby a week turned to four. On the third day of the fourth week Doctor Arvan examined Ruby's ankle again and noted it was healing quite well. "I suppose you could get around without the crutches now as long as you keep off it as much as possible."

"I will." She promised.

Later that day Ruby had been laying next to Roman in his bed, talking to him because Doctor Arvan said it might help. She talked herself to sleep though.

Roman woke to find her sleeping there, head on his shoulder. He looked around the room in confusion at first, seeing the machines and Ruby out cold. Slowly he started to remember what happened. He reached up and touched his chest, feeling the scar from the bullet and the scar from the surgery, but no stitches.

He remembered Ruby killing his shooter and tensed, the way she had killed the man... he looked at her. The way she had killed him was the same way Qrow had killed his sister. That unnerved him and he found himself a little afraid of her now, even though he didn't wish to be. She had saved his life. He knew he was in Arvan's hospital, which eased his nerves a bit and gathering from the monitors that he had never seen the estranged doctor use and the fact he had scars and not stitches it was easy to assume he had been out a long time.

He wrapped an arm around Ruby. She had probably been there for him the entire time and he forced back his fear as best he could, knowing it was irrational. He held her, watching the heart and brain activity monitors. Then he noticed that while the heart one was beeping in time with his heartbeat the other was silent. Grinning, he yanked the sensors off his head which set off an alarm in another room, Doctor Arvan's office. It wasn't loud enough to wake Ruby so he laid back and closed his eyes, waiting on the doctor to charge in, which he did, moments later.

Roman opened his eyes just a hair to watch the doctor as he looked at the monitors in distress. Then turned a grim expression on Roman. That is when the doctor noticed the sensors had been removed. The grim expression turned to a scowl and Arvan yelled at him.

"Damn you Roman! You don't do that!"

Roman started laughing and between the two they woke Ruby. She quickly shook her grogginess when she realized Roman was not only awake but laughing. She 'squee'd audibly and hugged him tightly.

"You're okay!" The relief in her voice was clear and he hugged her back.

Arvan stopped yelling and for a small moment all was right with the world.

When she let go though, sitting back to look him in the eye, Roman saw those odd silver eyes of hers. His mind picked then to play tricks on him, showing him a flash of Ruby, standing over him, a cold look in her eyes and a bloody scythe in hand. That image morphed into Qrow, same cold eyes, same bloody scythe.

Roman could do nothing to stop his heart from quickening in fear which was telegraphed to the other two by the monitoring machine.

Ruby glanced to the machine then back to Roman. "What's wrong?"

"N-nothing." he stuttered, trying to shake that image and calm down.

Ruby hugged him again, guessing he had just remembered how he ended up here to begin with. "It's okay, you're safe now."

He hugged her back, fearing he might not be able to look her in the eyes anymore.

"We have something in common now." Ruby said, resting against him and not caring to look him in the eyes for this bit.

"Oh?" he asked, curious.

"We are both wanted criminals." She stated plainly.

He knew that hurt her and he hugged her tighter. "I'm sorry Red, this is my fault."

"Don't blame yourself. Beacon is trying to say Crescent Rose was stolen from me and that's why I left. But it's only so long before the truth comes out." She sighed. "That's why I have decided that I will fake my death. My fate is sealed, there is no chance of ever returning to Beacon ever again."

"I may at least be able to clear your name when we do it though." Roman stated, having an idea.

"Really?" She asked, looking at him hopefully.

He quickly turned his gaze elsewhere as if thinking. "Yes. Just leave it all up to me Red."

"On that note." Doctor Arvan spoke up. "I ran a few tests on miss Red's blood. I have some of the exact type in storage for transfusions. It will cost you but I have enough that combined with what she already has you should have enough to convince the authorities that she is dead."

Roman nodded. "That would help, thank you."

* * *

><p>The next week was spent preparing for the 'death' of Ruby Rose.<p>

Roman plotting, writing and printing things. When Ruby asked, he explained his plan.

"I'm going to make it look like you were kidnapped the day after you sent that letter." He explained. "That you were nabbed by a large human/faunus trafficking ring. It will look like Crescent Rose was sold on the black market so not only can you keep it it will clear your name. What I'm doing here is writing out their logs, big underground trafficking like this has to keep up with their work. Hmm... Some pictures would be good. Bit of staging, bit of makeup and posing and it will be quite convincing. What do ya say?"

Ruby nodded. "Sounds good."

They set to work on that, cleaning out the closet which was on the outer wall so the brick was exposed in places. They died Ruby's hair back to it's natural color and Roman sat her down and did her makeup. They took her dress, which was already ruined from the night in the rain and roughed it up a bit more. That done and a chain retrieved from the garage, they were ready to go. Ruby looped the chain over the clothes hanger rod while Roman changed the date and time in the camera to reflect when she was 'kidnapped.'

Pictures taken, they set aside the chains, adjusted her makeup and dress. Roman told her how to pose so that she looked like she was under the effect of drugs.

It went on like that, adjusting her makeup and pose, changing the date and time in the camera until they had enough to have record up to the day he was scheduling her 'death.'

The pictures turned out well, all taken in black and white, leaving it to look like she was trapped in some basement or something.

The way Roman had done her makeup made it look like she had been badly beaten, the next few showed her under the effects of drugs while also looking as if she had been tortured. The last picture compared to the first was astounding. Her cheeks sunk in, bloody, bruised and scared. The dates of the pictures spread out showed a clear example of what the long effects of the drugs had been on her.

Had Ruby not known that was her and the pictures were faked, she'd have easily thought them real.

"Perfect." She nodded.

"With the logs, the blood and the rest of what I'm planning, It will be too much evidence to refute. I am also thinking a recording of your 'last words' might be a good idea but it will have to be where we do this at for it to sound right." Roman said, quite pleased with himself.

Ruby nodded. "I'll start working on what I need to say."

"We are doing this soon Red, I've already made some calls and a place is being set up." Roman explained as he typed.

Ruby nodded.

Everything proceeded on schedule, they picked up a cloak exactly like hers and ripped it up.

Roman got his hands on the drugs that she shows signs of being on in the pictures and they spiked the stored blood with it.

The day came, exactly forty two days after she left Beacon. She and Roman loaded the car and headed to the site that afternoon.

Roman planted the fake logs in the 'office' of the warehouse while Ruby spread the blood as Roman had instructed. It was an arena, there were multiple cages linked to it so the fighting ring runners only had to pull the divider up and the Grimm would get in. Several Beowolves and one Ursa, filled the cages, they were hungry too. There was one cage empty though.

Once she was done with the blood and Roman met her in the arena with a tape recorder. He ordered his hired help to stir up the Grimm and make them angry. That done they switched on the recording and Roman used a voice changer to mask his voice. Ruby did her part, acting convincingly that she was dieing and saying her last words.

Roman planted the tape and made sure the Grimm were fed a little so that they would seem like they had eaten Ruby.

With that the hired help cleared out and Ruby and Roman left as well. The rest of their plan left to time.

* * *

><p>Even though the search had been called off and Ruby seemed to be in another kingdom, after the murder of David Winchester Ozpin was taking no chances. He trusted team JNPR with the task of roaming the streets after dark and looking for the killer.<p>

They had gotten used to a system of searching block by block but had never found anything.

That night however, Pyrrha found a warehouse door open and drops of blood leading in. She whistled for Jaune to back her up before slipping in. There was a temporary wall up, making a room with a booth and two doors, both doors led to the larger area so she continued in, though Jaune had not caught up with her yet. She found herself standing at the back of some bleachers and base of stairs that went up to a loft above the first room.

She decided the stairs could wait, she wanted to see what the bleacher were surrounding.

In the middle of the bleachers was a massive heavy-duty chain-link fence, reinforced all over and with solid metal in a four foot wall all the way around the base. It was some sort of arena.

Moving closer she noticed five large cages, and one larger than the others, making six.

Directly in front of her was a heavy metal door.

Cautiously moving ever closer she saw that the cages contained Grimm. Four Beowolves and one Ursa, leaving one cage empty.

Closer still she was standing right at the heavy metal wall, looking in she noted all the Grimm cages set up to release them into the ring. Inspecting the ring itself she noticed blood, lots and lots of blood.

Her eyes drifted along the splatters of fresh blood to a big pool of it in the middle, There, she saw a red cloak, shredded, she noticed the the shreds of black fabric scattered about, the mostly destroyed boot.

Ruby's clothes.

That realization sunk in slowly. Ruby Rose, was dead.

Pyrrha's stomach lurched and threatened to rebel against the gruesome scene.

Stumbling away from the ring she bumped into Jaune.

"Pyrrha? What happened, are you alright?" Jaune asked, worried.

Pyrrha met his gaze, horror stricken. "Ruby..." That was all she could manage and pointed.

Jaune walked past her to see what happened for himself, worried if it affected Pyrrha that way.

Pyrrha saw Nora and Ren entering and she rushed over, grabbing and hugging on to Nora.

"Don't! Nora, you don't need to see it, stay with me." Pyrrha pleaded.

Nora stayed as Ren joined Jaune at the ring. Jaune was on his knees and Ren quickly understood why, he didn't spend long looking at the scene, instead, turning his back on it and taking out his scroll.

Professor Ozpin had instructed them to call him directly if they found anything and they had.

It only flashed twice before Ozpin answered.

"Have you found anything?" Ozpin asked, a mix of worry and hope in his voice. That hope faded when he saw Ren's grim expression.

"Yes sir... I think," Ren took a steadying breath. "I think Ruby is dead, sir."

Ren paused as a pained look crossed Ozpin's face. That had been his worst fear.

"I think you should get down here sir, it looks like something bigger was going on. I'm sending you the location now." Ren said, disconnecting.

Team JNPR sat outside the warehouse waiting for the professors to arrive.

By the time they did Pyrrha was in tears and Jaune looked traumatized.

"I... I could have done something, said something..." Pyrrha sobbed. "Anything to stop her from leaving, but I didn't!"

Nora, the only one who had not seen what lay inside, was trying to comfort Pyrrha.

Ren stood when he noticed Ozpin and Glynda had arrived and were watching Pyrrha worriedly.

"This way." Ren motioned, leading them in.

The professors quickly figured out what the place was before seeing the arena floor.

"Where is her body?" Ozpin asked.

Ren motioned at the Grimm. "They seem awfully calm for being in cages..."

"No one can survive losing that much blood..." Glynda noted, looking at the mess.

Ozpin closed his eyes and turned away. He felt like he had failed. He had failed to protect or even help Ruby. As he walked away from the ring he heard Pyrrha outside.

"How did she lose to them? What happened?" The girl sobbed.

Ozpin noticed the stairs to the loft above the first room and headed up. Inside he found filing cabinets that had been burned on the inside. Looking around he noticed there was a folder on the desk.

Opening it he found if full of records, pictures and a cassette tape. He noted the first line was the date after Ruby had sent the letter.

The pictures were of her.

Ozpin closed the folder, unable to bear looking at it here. He picked the folder up and took it with him back downstairs.

"Lets go, we need to inform the police." The others followed without argument.

Glynda made the call, Ozpin couldn't find the strength.

They sat outside and waited on the authorities to arrive.

Once the scene was handed over they headed back to Beacon.

Ozpin and Glynda sat in his office, spreading out the contents of the folder.

Ozpin looked somewhere between wanting to just scream and wanting to kill someone.

"Ruby is innocent of the Winchester murder." Glynda said, reading over the first section of the logs. "Crescent rose was taken from her and sold on the black market... for less than it was worth."

Ozpin sighed.

They reviewed the rest of the information in near silence.

* * *

><p>The coroner called the next morning with the results of the lab tests on Ruby's blood. It was hers, it was also too much for anyone to survive losing, thus Ruby Rose was proclaimed dead.<p>

Ozpin asked if a drug was found in her blood and he confirmed that it was.

Ozpin hung up the phone and sighed heavily. "Glynda, would you be so kind as to fetch Ruby's team?"

Glynda only nodded and vanished from the room. While she was gone he called Qrow, to inform him of his nieces death. He also said he would inform Ruby's father as soon as he told Yang.

Ozpin was hanging up the phone when Glynda returned with the girls, all held worried expressions after hearing team JNPR return that night. His frustration with the team got the better of him and he spoke bluntly. "Ruby is dead."

Weiss somehow became even more pale.

Yang crumpled to the floor, lost in sudden grief.

Blake's expression was pained and regretful.

"Do you know what happened to her? She was kidnapped, drugged and tortured. She was stripped of everything she had ever been, the people who took her planned to break her and make her a slave to sell on the black market. They called her 'Subject 4272F.' That number his how many these men have caught and done this sort of thing to. Over four thousand people. I think on an ordinary day Ruby could have wiped them out, but no. She was weakened because of what YOU THREE put her though!" Ozpin lectured, slamming a handful of the reports down on his desk at the end to accentuate his point.

All three girls jumped.

Glynda rested a hand on Ozpin's shoulder, silently telling him to calm down.

He took a deep breath and walked over to the window. "Read those logs."

None of the girls seemed that they wanted too, but, they did as asked, Yang looked the most miserable of the three and Glynda felt bad for her.

Yang picked up the first log. It detailed seeing Ruby in the busy transport station.

_Subject 4272F was found buying tickets out of Vale._

_Subject cornered and assaulted, she put up a fight but was quickly subdued._

_Subject has sale worth of $600 000 00 Due to rare silver eye color and young age._

Yang read, tears of anger sliding down her face. The pictures were timestamped and laid out in order. The first showed Ruby chained up, beaten and battered. The next she was unchained and was flopped helplessly in the floor. The log that went with that picture read as follows.

_Subject 4272F found to be dangerous. Subject placed on obedience drug._

The next picture showed Ruby clawing at her own skin.

_Subject 4272F resisting obedience drug. Subject is proving strong willed. Dose to be doubled._

The next few pictures and logs went on like this, all showing more and more proof Ruby was stronger than anyone they had ever caught prior.

The last picture made them all wince.

Ruby's cheeks were sunken, as well as her eyes, She was skinny in the most unhealthy manner and the amount of cuts and bruises on her didn't help that matter. She didn't really even look like Ruby anymore, just some sort of nightmare shadow of herself.

The log read as below.

_Subject 4272F spirit refuses to break. Subject would rather die then let go. Subject termination advised._

All three girls jumped when they noticed Ozpin standing at the desk again, watching them.

"They took everything from her and she refused to give up. They took her weapon from her, they drugged her so she couldn't fight back or escape but she still tried." He said, pointing to several reports of her attempting to escape.

"They traded Crescent Rose for the very Grimm that would later kill her. For forty days she suffered at the hands of these people, and there is no telling what was done to her that was not documented. Yet after all that she STILL fought to her very last breath. The last log states that she managed to kill one of the Grimm before they took her down. And do you know what is worse?" He ended with the question.

The girls waited silently for him to continue.

Ozpin reached over and pressed a button.

A recording filled the room. The sounds of hungry, angry Grimm filled the first minute or two.

That was followed by a voice that was masked.

"We are not completely without humanity. If you have last words, speak them now." The garbled voice demanded.

The recorder was then moved closer to Ruby as her labored, wet breath now audible.

"Y-Yang... I'm sorry..." She coughed. "I... wasn't...strong enough... to come... back..." She coughed again. "Not... strong" Her voice was growing weaker. "I lost..." She wheezed and the recorder was moved away. There was the sound of a metal door and then the garbled voice saying.

"Release them."

What followed was the sounds of Grimm having a feast and of Ruby's agonized screams.

The screaming lasted several minutes and Yang sank to the floor, sobbing hysterically.

Weiss hid her face in her hands and Blake looked depressed.

Ruby's screams ended abruptly and the recording ran out soon after.

"According to the logs, they told her if she could beat the Grimm she could go free. She was still under the effects of the drugs. She should have had no chance but she still brought one of them down." Ozpin said. "The bad part is that if you lot had listened to her and not Cardin. She would still be alive."

Yang screamed in agony at the loss of her sister. The pit of pain she felt was like nothing she had ever felt before. Yang cried with all her aching heart. Weiss to sunk to the floor and though her tears were silent, they were unending.

"No one should have to die like that." Blake said, wiping at her own tears that refused to stop falling.

Ozpin let the sobbing die down some before picking up the phone again.

"What are you doing?" Blake asked hollowly.

"Calling their father. He needs to know his youngest child is dead." Ozpin answered. "It's my responsibility as headmaster."

Blake nodded and fell silent.

Ozpin placed the call.

"This is Professor Ozpin of Beacon Academy." Ozpin said, waiting for the man on the other end to reply.

"Yes, actually. It is about Ruby." Again Ozpin waited.

"No, actually... I have called to, regretfully, inform you that. Ruby has passed on from this life. I'm sorry." Ozpin and the man on the other end fell silent. Ozpin waited for him to reply first.

"Yes, Yang is here now, I think she needs your support." Ozpin let the other man speak. "Yes, yes of course, I'll hand the phone over right now." Ozpin carried the phone over to Yang and handed it to her. His tone far more gentle than it had been in a while. "It's your father."

Yang took the phone and sobbed into the receiver.

Ozpin left the others to mourn. He went to Glynda's office to make the announcement that school was postponed for the day in memorial of Ruby Rose, who passed away the day before.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Hey everyone! Please don't shoot me...**

**Moving on.**

**SO, WHICH ONE OF YOU *points at readers* TOLD ROSEWICK TRASH PEEVES ABOUT THIS FIC?**

** WHICH ONE OF YOU IS REFERRING MY WORK TO OTHER PEEPS? **

**BECAUSE, COME HERE I NEED TO HUG YOU.**

**Sorry, I kinda exploded...  
><strong>

**It's just, I've been reading their fic and it's really good and they mentioned being suggested to read my fic THIS FIC and I kinda got excited.**

**For those of you who are wondering who that person is, they are one of the writers at: **

**The Jashinist and Peeves.**

**The fic of theirs I've been reading is:**

**Still Dreaming**

**(It's in my faves list if you wanna read it guys and you should it's good.)**

**Sooooooooooo**

**Moving on...**

**What do all of you think of Doc Arvan? Editor2 isn't fond of him... Editor1 (Rest their soul after they "failed at grammar" and... *ahem* were eaten alive by Editor2) liked him if I remember right... Anyway, would love to hear what all of you think of the guy. And the fic too, I love Reviews and would love to see more of what all of you think.  
><strong>

**Moving oon...**

**Just want to note Ruby's cloak, they got another clock to leave behind, she still has hers. I just wanted to throw that info out their because Editor1 missed it and got confused in future chapters.  
><strong>

**Lastly...**

**ODST110... Please don't shoot me, things get better I promise...**

**Wow, longest a/n I've done... Sorry if I bored everyone...**

**If Rosewick is trash, so am I and this trash shipper is out!**

***POOFS In ninja smoke***

_**Editor2 pops in to the document to add a note as well**_

**Editor2: I didn't eat Editor1... I just literally fired them by throwing them into the deepest pits of lava in hell. **

**(Also you guys should have seen when the Author saw someone referred this... so much high pitched excited screaming)**


	10. Split Decision

The same morning that Ruby was proclaimed officially dead she woke in the bed alone, looked around groggily then dragged herself away from the comfortable pillows. She headed for the bathroom and pulled the door open.

She had not been expecting to see a freshly showered Roman standing on the other side, hair dripping wet, scar clearly visible on his chest and only a towel around his waist. He turned a confused look at the doorway and the young miss standing there, his face was covered in shaving cream and he had a razor in his hand.

Ruby's face turned a bright shade of red, He looked almost exactly the way she had thought he would.

She slammed the door and ran back across the apartment, hiding under the bed.

After a short while Roman walked in. "Red? You in here Red? I know I'm ugly and all but you don't have to go and remind me, you know."

"No, that's not it, I mean, you are really… reallyhandsomeandthat'stheproblem." Ruby said hastily. "I mean, uh, are you less naked now?" Ruby asked.

"Yes." Roman said, trying not to chuckle. He got down on his knees and peeked under the bed.

"You look like a cat." He laughed.

She stuck her tongue out at him and he laughed again.

"Do you plan to spend the whole day under there? Or, do you want to come play some Minecraft with me?" He asked, grinning at her.

"That could be fun..." She said, acting as if she had to think about it.

"Which one?" He asked.

Ruby meowed.

Roman chuckled and left the room.

Ruby wiggled her way out from under the bed and headed for the bathroom again, this time without finding a towel clad Roman.

Roman plopped on the couch, laptop in hand and started altering settings to set his favorite map into a server. It was the map he had had the longest and he never shared it with anyone before.

Ruby returned, fetching her laptop and parking herself next to him. "I haven't used this in a while..."

"No better time than the present." Roman grinned. "I'll have the server up in just a minute."

Ruby watched patiently and happily logged on when he gave her the code.

She spawned in a swamp but Roman was already there to guide her to shelter. The first place was just a dirt mound under a tree. Once day came he led her onward towards the mountains. He seemed to know the map quite well.

They had to stop in two more similar shelters before they reached a sprawling city.

"Wow..." Ruby said, looking at the skyscrapers he had built. "You did this on survival?"

"Yep, I had to find something to do with all the stuff from the strip mine under it. I was having decent luck and still learning so I just started stacking things in places then had this idea. It's been a while since I've seen it." He explained.

"It's really cool" She said, exploring the place.

There were tall buildings and smaller ones, houses and apartments. It even had a park. The city took up an entire biome.

After she was done exploring and day had come again he led her onward.

They found a village but it was partially blown up and the villagers were missing. Roman lead them straight though this place and onward.

They came to a jungle where there was a tree-house that they stayed in for the night but it was fairly simple.

The day came again and Ruby could see the beach, and the ship on the ocean, next to that was a bridge.

They headed down that bridge, it spanned the whole breadth of the ocean, taking them to the next beach. Once there Roman turned south and followed the beach for a while, avoiding the desert.

They came to another mountain range, this one had many different things built on it. He led her to a hidden door at the base of a mountain that led to a ladder. It went all the way to the top but once there Ruby could see why he had chosen this place as a base. There had been a cave structure at the top of the cave opening in many places to show a stunning view of all sides.

Roman showed her around. He had hollowed the place in a few areas and filled in in others.

The walls were covered in paintings and items and made of bookshelves in some places. He had an enchanting room, a forge, a kitchen, an armory, nether portal room, mine and a bedroom.

Outside on one of the lower hills was an animal pen and garden.

The thing that surprised her most though, was that there was villagers running about.

"How did you get these guys in here?" She asked.

Roman chuckled and gave her a sly grin. "About three versions back there was a glitch, it allowed you to use a lasso and lead villagers wherever you wanted them."

"So that is why there was none of them at the village we passed." She mused.

"Yep, took some from other villages too, only the useful ones though, I killed the rest." He explained. "I try to only keep what is useful and dispose of the rest." He added.

"What about me?" Ruby asked, looking over at him.

Roman turned a confused look on her.

"Am I useful? Do you just 'keep' me around because you can use me in some way?" Ruby asked, feeling hurt.

Understanding now he smiled warmly and patted her head. "Red, you are my friend. I don't 'keep you around' as you put it. You needed a place to go, I gave you one. I have no intentions of using you. You are my friend and I care about you. Coming from a guy who only cares about himself, consider yourself special."

She relaxed, smiling. "Thanks."

He nodded, turning back to the game.

That had been hard for him, anytime he looked into her eyes he saw that moment when she killed Winchester, remembered his sisters death and to be honest, she terrified him now that she had blood on her hands. He had worked hard to keep that image pushed away though and was glad she hadn't noticed. He wished he could have added that she had been the only person he had really trusted in a long time but right now he was too afraid of her to trust her, even knowing that was irrational.

Ruby thought about that, actually feeling special. She grinned, watching him play now that he was quiet again. She set her laptop down and hugged him very suddenly, causing him to jump.

"I care about you too!" She said happily, closing her eyes and burying her face in his side.

He set his laptop down and hugged her back, glad she hadn't noticed his real fear.

Returning to the game again they played well into the night.

* * *

><p>The next day they decided to play again, not wanting to leave the house just yet in fear she might bump into someone who might just recognize her. If that happened they would be in a lot of trouble.<p>

Roman went out to get breakfast alone and saw that the paper was out already, he got one. Bringing it back to Ruby.

"You might want to see this." Roman said, holding the paper out to her after setting the box of donuts on the coffee table. "We made headlines."

She took the paper without a word, almost afraid. It showed a picture of the now empty arena, the Grimm having been killed or removed. The headline read.

**Missing Beacon girl found brutally murdered**

The paper never mentioned her name but did give a few details about her kidnap and murder.

It also mentioned that the family would soon be holding a funeral for her in their home town.

She put the paper down quietly and Roman watched her closely.

"How does it feel? Being dead to your old world?" He asked carefully when she didn't speak.

"Really, very strange." She admitted.

"Now you can start over Red, a whole new life." Roman smiled.

A chill ran down Ruby's spine, remembering the nightmare suddenly, that had been what he'd said before shooting her.

She realized suddenly, the whole thing made sense now, it had been a premonition. All of it.

Watching her face, Roman frowned. "You alright Red?"

She shook her head to chase the thoughts away, they did her no good now. "Yeah, yeah, it's just... A lot to take in."

He nodded. "I understand."

Ruby looked back at the paper. "I want to go."

"Go?" He asked.

"To my funeral." She explained.

He nodded. "We will need good disguises. Leave it to me."

"Thank you." She smiled sadly.

* * *

><p><strong>Meanwhile<strong>

* * *

><p>Class had started but Weiss, Blake, Yang and Cardin were called to Ozpin's office.<p>

They stood. Silent. Cardin looked irritated.

Yang looked lost in pain.

Weiss was unreadable.

Blake seemed to be in turmoil with herself.

Ozpin looked them over for a few minutes, letting them get worried.

"To be quite honest, I have every right and reason to expel all four of you right now." He said at length, his tone even.

Cardin shot him a glare but quickly returned his gaze to the floor.

The girls didn't even blink, all seeming to expect that or feel they deserved it.

"But... I don't think Ruby would have wanted that. Still, it was your actions that lead to her death. Your irresponsibility. Lack of trust and lack of respect. Your foolishness and doubts led to this. To add to that, Cardin, your actions caused to Ruby to feel she had no choice but to leave and put her in the position to get kidnapped. It was _your_ actions that lead to your own uncle's death as well as Ruby's." Ozpin let that sink in before continuing.

"Weiss, Blake, Yang. You not only doubted your leader, you distrusted her, disrespected her and refused to believe her. You let her down when she needed you most then turned on her in her weakest hour. You are the primary reason she left." Again he let that sink in.

"If it wasn't for the actions of you four, Ruby Rose would still be alive. To be honest, it's a waste. Ruby had more potential in her left hand then the four of you do in your entire bodies combined." They all flinched in one way or another.

"None of you will ever make half the Huntress she would have been. You four are responsible for her demise as much as the bastards who killed her. It is for this reason that as of today, all four of you are suspended from Beacon for the next two years." Ozpin said.

Cardin was furious but not a word escaped his mouth when he looked in Ozpin's eyes. Ozpin gave the boy a look that clearly said he hoped Cardin would never return. This silenced the fool.

Blake looked disappointed as much in herself as in everything else.

Weiss accepted the punishment, feeling it was only right.

Yang. Yang still looked completely lost. Broken.

* * *

><p>Within the next few days Roman managed to find out when and where the funeral would be held and got transport. He also got costumes ready.<p>

Ruby looked in the mirror when Roman finished with her disguise. She now looked like a portly little old grandmother. He then worked on his own disguise, making himself look equally old. That done, they headed out.

"Remember, you go by 'Granny' and I'm your husband 'Pops' that is what everyone calls us if anyone asks." Roman said.

"Alrighty, dear." Ruby said in her best granny voice.

"Perfect." Roman said in a raspy voice.

The trip was a quiet one, Roman having picked a flight after the Beacon crew.

Ruby spent most the trip sleeping with her head on Roman's shoulder.

Part of him didn't mind, even liked that a little, the part of him that feared her though, that side wanted her to stop touching him.

Once they arrived they made the trip to Ruby's home town. It was strange, seeing it and knowing it could never be her home ever again. She wasn't even sure how to feel about that.

They arrived at the docks a bit early, the services still being prepared. Soon though, things were ready and people started flowing in. Because of the lack of a body, which was a common thing in Remnant for Huntresses and Hunters, they had prepared a boat. It was filled with roses and soaked in oil. Ruby's cloak was also in the boat, the only thing that had been left of her.

Ruby had expected her dad and team to show and maybe her Uncle but was surprised to see other Beacon students.

All of team JNPR.

All the professors.

A few students she didn't know.

Penny.

Sun, Neptune and the rest of their team.

The owner of the Dust shop she had stopped Roman from robbing.

People were shuffling around, finding appropriate places to stand.

In the process of this Qrow was making his way around, thanking those who made the long journey to be there.

Ruby noticed him first and reached to take Roman's hand. She studied her uncle's features. He was sad, that was clear, but he also seemed to have already accepted things.

Roman must have spotted him because Ruby felt him tense. She squeezed Romans hand as Qrow approached them.

"How did you know my niece?" He asked politely.

Roman was frozen, unable to speak. He was trapped between fear and a hunger for vengeance.

Ruby squeezed his hand again.

"I used to make cookies for the girl, she was a sweet little thing." Ruby said, using her granny voice well.

"Ah, Ruby did love cookies." Qrow said, giving a sad smile. "Thank you for coming all this way."

Just as Qrow was about to leave he met Romans eyes and there was a flicker of recognition. "I know you..."

Before things could go any farther though the announcement was made that the service was about to begin. Qrow turned, watching Roman as long as he could before vanishing into the small crowd.

Ruby's family, her dad, sister and uncle, gathered in front of the boat.

Her father couldn't bring himself to even speak, Qrow spoke for him instead.

"Ruby was the very embodiment of hope, and while she may no longer be here in body, she is still with us in our hearts and memories. She was a strong and defiant light against the darkness of this world and her light will burn on through us." Qrow finished and stepped aside, motioning someone on the side to step up. It was Weiss.

Ruby found herself angry just looking at her. The look of guilt in Weiss's eyes was strangely satisfying.

Weiss started to sing as Ruby's family carried the boat into the water. Weiss turned to face the water as well as the family walked back.

"Loved one. Please carry on, we are with you, will always remember. Loved one, do not fear now, it is time now. Time to walk the hall of heroes." She followed that verse with a long, low to high string of notes. As she did this a man off to the side pulled back a bow, someone else lit the tip of his arrow on fire. He shot and hit the boat dead on, setting it alight.

"Loved one." Weiss's voice cracked. "Please be strong now. We will one day meet again."

Weiss shuttered, it took her a moment to continue.

"Loved one. We will stand now, in your absence." Her voice was cracking every other word now.

"Loved one, we will be strong now... Ruby..." Weiss fell apart, unable to finish the song as she crumpled to the ground in sobs.

The boat was nothing but a ball of flames on the water now.

Ruby's family and Blake went over to help Weiss off to the side.

Yang finished the song, though she could barely carry the tone with her scratchy voice.

"Loved one, we'll be strong now, in your place so you can rest. Loved one, guard your soul now, You are free now of this mortal coil. Loved one." The last two words were dragged out in long notes that would have been better in Weiss's voice.

Still, Yang had a pretty voice when she hadn't cried it away.

Ruby studied her older sister. She was grim looking. Almost, emotionless.

Roman started pulling Ruby away, explaining that they couldn't risk bumping into Qrow again.

She agreed.

They passed professor Ozpin on the way out. He looked tired. He glanced their way but here was no recognition at all this time and he returned to his conversation with Nora.

The trip back was also uneventful.

* * *

><p>Once back at the apartment and out of the disguises Ruby found Roman milling about in the kitchen aimlessly.<p>

Ruby walked in silently and hugged him, he jumped.

"What's wrong?" Ruby asked.

"Nothing... Just a bit frazzled after seeing... _him_." Roman said, referring to Qrow.

Ruby stepped back and met his gaze, then reached up to brush the hair from his face and say something comforting. But he flinched.

Ruby quickly withdrew her hand. "It's me... Isn't it?"

"No! no... not, that's not it." He said, turning away and hoping she wouldn't know he was lying.

"Yes... It is me..." She said, tilting her head and following him, keeping eye contact.

He sighed, giving up and meeting her gaze. He couldn't hide his fear, he saw Qrow, saw his impending doom when he looked into those eyes.

"Why are you afraid of me?" She asked, a little hurt.

"It's just... The way you... It was the same..." He said, his fear getting the better of him and he found himself backing away from her, only to bump into the cabinets which made him jump again.

"Please." He said, heart racing and looking like a cornered rabbit. "Just don't hurt me."

"Hurt you?" Ruby echoed, taking a step back, starting to turn away. "Why would I hurt you?"

He didn't answer or relax and she left the room, stinging in a way that she never thought she would. She was so sure he would leave her but in a way he had.

Roman sank to the floor, punching the cabinet door in a sudden flash of angry frustration. "Damn it."

He then heard the front door open and close, which caused him a painful sense of loneliness.

Roman shoved his fear aside and stood, rushing after her.

He came out the door to find she was already heading down the stairs. He rushed after, tripping and falling to one of the landings.

He spat a few curses and looked up to see Ruby had stopped and turned to look at him. There was pain in her eyes, as well as confusion. She could see the fear in his.

"If you are afraid of me then why are you trying to stop me?" She asked softly.

"Because..." He said, hesitating. Ruby could see in his eyes that the fear for her was stronger then his fear of her. "I care." he said, it sounded like it was tearing him apart.

Roman reached for her. She took his hand and they went back inside the apartment.

Once the door was closed he hugged her, trembling. "I'm sorry Red, I never meant to hurt you..."

She could hear the fear in his voice as well as how much he cared. It was an internal struggle.

"Why are you afraid of me?" She asked.

"It's... It's just..." He held her tighter, trembling. "The way you killed him... is how she died."

Ruby understood then and she hugged him back. He wasn't calming down though so she pulled away.

"I'll give you some room to breathe okay? Please, just calm down." Ruby said then slipped into the bedroom and out of sight.

Roman felt alone, he hated himself for fearing her and loving her at the same time.

The apartment fell to complete silence the next couple of days.

Roman trying to escape his fear and Ruby trying not to scare him. She wasn't sure why it hurt her so badly that he feared her, just a few months ago that would have been a good thing. Now, though, she seemed to care about him.

What hurt more than his fear of her, was watching him in pain and turmoil with himself.

* * *

><p>It was three days after she learned of his fear that he came and woke her, avoiding looking at her eyes.<p>

"I need to go speak with my employer... I think you should come along and meet her if you are going to stay." Roman explained.

Ruby watched him, she wasn't sure she was going to stay, she had been thinking leaving might make things better.

"Alright." She said, offering a strained smile.

Once ready they got in the car and drove to a part of town she had not really been in. There was a big warehouse and a few other buildings.

"Once we go in I need you to lay low and hang back till I wave for you." Roman said.

Ruby nodded. "I can do that."

Roman went in first, letting Ruby drop back a bit.

The building was full of cargo from Schnee company shipments as well as others. Ruby hopped up on a stack of these and followed Roman in shadow, watching from above.

"Well, look who finally shows up." Mercury said.

"You can zip it." Roman said with irritation. "You lot are lucky I'm alive at this point."

"Really?" Came Cinder's voice.

"Really." Roman stated flatly.

"And where, exactly, have you been?" She asked.

"Recovering from a sour deal only to end up with more work." Roman explained.

"What work have you done that I didn't tell you to do?" She asked.

"I brought a powerful ally to our side." He said smugly.

"And who might that be?" Cinder asked.

Roman signaled and Ruby hopped down and stepped into view.

Cinder arched a brow. "So you're not dead... Disappointing."

Ruby glared at the older woman. "You jump to conclusions."

"Do I?" Asked Cinder.

She walked around Ruby, messing with her hair and looking her over.

"If you are on our side then how about this - you take a job from me. If you do it, I'll consider you a loyal friend." Cinder said simply.

"What kind of job?" Ruby asked.

"I need you to kill someone." Cinder said with a wicked smile.

* * *

><p>End part one.<p>

You choose Ruby's path.

Good? Or Evil?

* * *

><p>If you choose for Ruby to not take the job then the story continues on the 'good' path in White Ridding Hood.<p>

s/10918431/1/White-Riding-Hood

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><p>Should you choose to take the job and follow the path of evil the story continues in Red Reaper.<p>

s/10918467/1/Red-Reaper

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><p><strong>AN: I just wanna say thank you to all of my readers, friends and editors. We've made it all the way through the first part! Woo!**

**Oh, but this isn't the end, oh no, this is actually only half the chapter!**

**For the rest you have to pic a side and because it's Christmas I'm uploading both Good and Evil versions with this chapter! So hop on over to my page and they should be there.**

**Now, before you go and dive into the continuation of the story I wanna let you know that Red Reaper should be updated every Monday if all goes well and White Riding Hood will take the Thursday slot.**

**One-shots will continue at random wherever I wanna throw them.**

**As always, reviews are welcome and much appreciated and thank you to everyone who reviewed so far!**

**If you have any questions feel free to pm me, I don't bite I promise but some times I may not answer if the only answer gives spoilers!**

**(Once those spoilers are posted though I will answer and happily chat.)**

* * *

><p><span><strong>IMPORTANT EDITOR'S NOTE:<strong>

**Editor2: Alright guys, this here is a temporary note that I will be removing once I'm done here. I have to post this chapter and THEN go work on creating and posting the two continuations, so if you read this and they're not up yet, don't worry, I'm working on it.  
><strong>

**If you're following the Author, you'll get an email notification when they go up. However if you're only following this story, you'll have to pop over to the Author's page and follow the continuing path that you choose, or both if you want to read them both, after I've got them posted.**

**EDIT: ****They're posted and the url of them both is up above, linked as well as I can do with FFN's filter. They're also on the Author's page, so go check it out!  
><strong>


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